One King
by Rosslyn Verity
Summary: It's the year 2043 and all hell has broken loose on earth; magic has been exposed, demons walk, witches burn, and the charmed ones are forced to once again rise up only this time there's more at stake than ever before. Piper/Leo Phoebe/Cole Paige/Henry
1. The sharp knife of a short life

This is a story about the third generation of 'Charmed' witches. The sisters (Piper/Phoebe/Paige) will be major characters. This has nothing to do with any of my other stories. If I get a good response, we'll see where we can take it because I have a few ideas...

I apologize to those of you waiting on my other stories be it Charmed or otherwise...maybe one day they will get done...until then, maybe something to tie you over.

-Ross

* * *

><p>K-1<p>

His footsteps echoed on the cool cement as the fog swam around his body making him feel unusually cold on the mid October afternoon in San Francisco. He took a deep breath allowing his lungs to fill with the sharp pang of cold air as he cocked his head to the side just in time to see a yellow taxi cab round the corner onto Prescott Street.

He straighten to his full six feet, pushing his shoulders back and removing his hands from the pockets of his leather jacket he prepared for the newcomers arrival.

The cab came to a screeching halt in front of him and his hand trembled slightly as he reached for the door handle. He swallowed the lump in his throat away and pulled open the door, immediately plastering a wide grin onto his handsome face, "Hey kids!" he greeted warmly.

Two teenagers looked up at the young man and managed to force a smile although they weren't nearly as convincing as their older cousin.

"Well come on then" he opened the door wider, "We haven't got all day."

Half heartedly, two young girls scrambled from the car, the second, scrubbing desperately at her eyes with her sleeves in an attempt to hide her tears.

Although he hadn't seen them in years, the man draped an arm around his youngest cousins shoulders, "It's going to be okay Zo" he told her as he pulled her tighter and pressed a kiss to her temple as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She nodded into his embrace, not quite believe him but despite the awkwardness of the moment, she couldn't bring herself to pull away.

He took in her broken expression a moment longer before turning to look for the other girl who was standing impatiently drumming her fingers on the trunk of the car, as the cab driver continued to fumble with the keys.

"Cadence."

Her green eyes snapped up to meet his blue ones but she didn't speak a word.

"Why don't you take your sister inside, I'll get the bags." He suggested.

After a beat the older of the two girls nodded before striding past the younger and proceeding towards the house.

The young man watched as the younger girl turned. If his eyes hadn't been locked onto her wandering ones so intently he would have missed her foundering expression as she paused ever so briefly, unsure of whether or not to follow. And then, seemingly deciding that she had nowhere else to go, she slowly turned and trailed after her sister into the house before he moved towards the trunk with a barely audible sigh.

* * *

><p>It wasn't as if she was a stranger to the old manor, but suddenly it all seemed very different.<p>

It seemed quiet and foreign and she felt as if she didn't belong. In fact, Cadence felt as though she may never belong anywhere ever again.

The creak of the floors signaled her sister had entered behind her, but she didn't dare turn around, not as the tears she had suppressed since the accident threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Caddie?" someone hovered behind her, "Are you-"

"I'm fine" Cadence pulled away from her younger sisters touch and began moving towards the kitchen in search of her grandmother when a loud blast of music made her jump in fright.

The younger girl looked from her sister up to the ceiling, "I guess Jayda's home." She commented, her voice void of any emotion.

Cadence took a deep calming breath, "I guess so." She answered in the same detached tone her sister seemed to have.

The young man who had greeted them at the curb suddenly appeared in the doorway struggling with all of their things but finally managing to set them down.

"Where's Grams and Grandpa?" the younger girl asked.

The young man ran a hand through his light brown hair, "They had to go take care of some things."

"What kind of things?" Cadence asked taking a step forward.

"Nothing for you to worry about now." He told her as he forced a smile but it faded as his gaze turned skyward towards the thundering music.

"They're with the police again aren't they?" Cadence asked.

"Cadence _please._" The younger girl groaned.

"Shut up Zoey." She snapped as she locked eyes with her older cousin. "_Aren't they_." She stressed.

He sighed, "Don't speak to your sister like that." He reprimanded lightly.

"I knew it." Cadence snapped as she threw her hands in the air, "What the hell do they think happened Jackson!" she demanded, "She was a victim!"

"I know." He told her calmly.

"Than why are they doing this?" she asked, the tears returning to her eyes.

"They want to catch this guy." Jackson answered after a moment.

"You mean this demon!" Cadence yelled over the music that coursed through the house.

"Look, why don't I show you your room…" Jackson suggested.

Cadence crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him, "Whatever."

Zoey looked to Jackson for some indication of what to do, he gave her a sympathetic look and moved towards the bags.

"I'll help." Zoey offered.

"Thanks." Jackson mumbled.

Jackson pushed open the bedroom door, "You guys will have to share a bedroom for now."

"Great." Cadence groaned as she moved into the room and flopped onto the bed closest to the window.

"I know it's not ideal-"

Cadence snorted, "That's the understatement of the century." She muttered as she rolled onto her side and away from them, forcing her eyes closed and praying that when she woke up it would all just be a bad dream.

* * *

><p>Zoey followed Jackson into the kitchen, "Are you hungry?" he asked.<p>

"Starving." She replied as she pulled her dark chestnut hair up into a ponytail. Her doe brown eyes shown with tears after her sisters earlier outburst and yet she still managed a smile, "You think we can just order pizza?"

"Ingenious idea." He smiled but it didn't quite reach his blue eyes, "But I have to warn you, Grams might be a bit angry you didn't want to eat her homemade lasagna." Jackson teased, but who was he kidding, no one would be getting angry at Zoey any time soon, except for maybe Cadence.

Zoey laughed, "I'll take my chances."

Jackson smirked as he grabbed his cell from his pocket, "Suit yourself." He replied, "Peperoni, green peppers, mushrooms, okay?"

"As long as it's an extra large with extra cheese." Zoey replied.

Jackson smile again, "I think I'm going to like having you around."

"Well I am your favorite cousin aren't I?" Zoey teased back, as she felt her heart start to lighten, it was good to be around family again.

* * *

><p>Cadence had tossed and turned with nightmares plaguing her short sleep until the ringing of the doorbell caused her to jolt awake.<p>

She pulled herself from the bed and looked in the mirror; she looked like hell. Seemingly appropriate considering she looked only slightly better than how she felt.

"Rough day?"

Her head snapped around to find her older cousin leaning casually in the doorway.

Jayda with her waist length raven hair and striking grey eyes had one hand propped on her hip and the other shoved into the pocket of her tight, low-riding, jeans.

"Rough week." Cadence replied stifling a sigh as she took in Jayda a moment before turning back to the mirror to once again study her bedraggled appearance.

"Yeah." Was all her older cousin said, making no indication that she was going to offer any words of comfort as she ran a hand with painted black nails through her matching hair. "Well…" she trailed off sounding slightly uncomfortable, causing Cadence to look back at her.

In all the times she had met Jayda, she had never heard her exert anything but confidence, attitude, and impatience. The hint of awkwardness in her cousins voice made Cadence feel sick to her stomach. Granted she had only met Jayda a handful of times, and she was probably just reading too much into it, or perhaps she really didn't know her cousin that well at all…regardless, Cadenece didn't have the rational or the patience to decipher her cousins kaleidoscope of emotions as she struggled to deal with her own.

"Pizza's here."

Cadence blinked, "What?"

Jayda rolled her grey eyes, "Pizza's here." She articulated, her voice clearly laced with irritation.

"Oh." Cadence replied as she and her cousin continued to match each others stares. Maybe she had been wrong after all. "I'm not hungry." She finally relented and looked away.

After a beat Jayda shrugged and walk away.

Cadence let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and tilted her head back to look up at the ceiling.

This was going to be hell.


	2. A penny for your thoughts

SO I know how people feel about o/c's so I thought I would post this next chapter faster than I normally would and I have to say, any fans of Piper are going to love the next chapter (3) as it's sole focus is on Piper and her feelings with a bit of background all rolled into one.

PS Caddie is pronounced like Katie

* * *

><p>K-2<p>

Wyatt had always been the strongest, the protector, the leader.

After his death, everything seemed to fall apart.

The whole Underworld had conspired to take the life of the Twice Blessed and in the end, after many losses on both sides, they eventually succeeded.

Piper Halliwell squeezed her eyes shut as she willed away the tears that the memories caused to pool in her eyes.

A strong, gentle hand gave her shoulder a squeeze, providing her with the strength to re-open her eyes and look once again at the detective in front of her.

Leo kept his arm wrapped around her while she spoke, her voice steady despite the shaking of her hands, "I already told you, I have no idea _why _it happened."

"You really expect me to believe you have nothing to do with this?" the detective across the desk arched an eyebrow. "This is the fourth demonic attack on your family."

Piper Halliwell wanted to snort at the irony of his statement but instead resigned to sigh for what felt like the hundredth time, "I'm well aware Detective Neilson."

The man had been investigating the Halliwells for years, ever since the first attack had stolen two of Piper's children and three more of her nieces and nephews.

"Like I've told you before" she continued, her voice hard, "until you have proof-"

"Why else would demons be targeting you if you weren't magical?" he demanded his voice laced with irritation.

"I have no idea." Piper replied, her voice flat as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Mrs. Halliwell walk me through-" he began but Piper pushed back her chair.

"Detective, I just lost my daughter, I have two granddaughters who just lost their mother, don't you think I have better things to do than sit here and go over this with you _again_." she snapped, her anger finally seeping through, "Please call me as soon as you find out any information about who could possibly be responsible for this." And with that she turned on her heel and quickly exited the office.

Leo also stood, he lingered a moment longer, running a hand through his now greying hair in an effort to present their innocence, "She's just upset." He explained although it seemed he was talking more to himself than to the man in front of him, "We lost our daughter." He continued seeming slightly dazed. "She has a right to be upset."

Detective Neilson looked up at him and nodded, "Of course she does, but I'm just trying to do my job."

"We appreciate that detective." Leo told him, "We just need some time. Our family's been through a lot." And with that he picked up his jacket and followed his wife from the room.

Detective Neilson's eyes lingered on the door, "They have indeed." He muttered to himself, "I just need to find out why."

* * *

><p>Piper fumbled with the keys in her hand as she tried to unlock the front door, her eyes clouding with tears when a gentle hand rested atop hers and she looked up at Leo.<p>

The love and concern in his face was just too much for her and she finally broke down, falling into his arms as she cried, "She was our baby…" she hyperventilated, "It's not fair" Piper managed to compose herself slightly as she leaned back to look at Leo whipping at her nose, "It's not fair." She stated more firmly.

"I know." He told her gently as he brushed a piece of her dark hair that now held flecks of grey out of her face. "But there are people who need us, who need you to be strong." he reminded and she knew he was referring to those both in and outside of the old manor.

"I know." she all but whispered.

Piper took a deep, shaky breath as Leo carefully took the keys from her hands and placed one hand on the small of her back, "Are you ready?"

"Do I have a choice?" she replied her tone flat.

Leo unlocked the door and stepped into the dimly lit manor, where his three children had grown up. He blinked away the tears as the memory's of scrapped knees, pinky swears, and playing dress up came flooding back to him.

Piper gave his arm a squeeze, showing him that he had her eternal support when the sound of a laugh and a snort pulled them out of the reminiscing and they exchanged a confused look before they made their way into the kitchen.

"…and then I woke up with a half eaten bag of lettuce in my hand, wearing my Halloween costume from last year." Jackson finished as he took a giant bite of pizza.

"Oh my God!" Zoey squealed hysterically. "Damn Tequila."

Piper cleared her throat as Leo looked between his two grandchildren.

"Grams!" Zoey jumped off her chair to hug her grandmother as Jackson all but choked on his pizza.

Piper narrowed her eyes at her oldest grandchild over Zoey's shoulder, "Considering the circumstances I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that."

"You should be trying to set a good example for your younger cousins Jack." Leo reminded.

"Right, sorry Grandpa, I was just trying to make her laugh." Jackson apologized sheepishly.

Piper gave him a half hearted smile just as she heard the pounding on the stairs. She released her youngest granddaughter and called out as she simultaneously strode into the hallway, "Jayda!"

"I'm going out Grams." Jayda replied as she shrugged on her leather jacket and pulled her long raven locks out from underneath of it.

For a moment, Piper was once again, as she often was, struck by the undeniable resemblance her oldest granddaughter had with her older sister, bless her soul. Piper regained her wits, "Where are you going?" she took another step forward.

"I said _out_." Jayda snapped back in irritation as a horn sounded outside.

"When will you be back? You're cousins just arrived and I would like if you-" Piper was interrupted by the slamming of the door as her hands curled into fists and she had to focus all her attention on making sure nothing in the room spontaneously exploded.

"Grams?"

Pipers eyes were torn away from the door and to the stairwell, "Caddie" she breathed a sad smile forgetting about her oldest granddaughter a moment.

Cadence reluctantly came down the stairs and allowed her grandmother to wrap her in her arms.

After what felt like an eternity to Cadence and not nearly long enough to Piper the pair finally broke apart as Piper pulled her back at arms length, "Let me look at you." She gave her a once over, pursing her lips at how thin Cadence was, "You're skin and bone." She announced her verdict. "Lets get you something to eat." She wrapped an arm around her granddaughters shoulders as she guided her towards the kitchen.

"There's lasagna in the fridge." Piper told her, "But your sister and cousin also decided to order pizza. Heavens only know why." She grumbled the last part, pursing her lips to signal her displeasure.

"I'm really not hungry Grams." Cadence replied.

"Nonsense." Piper brushed her off, "Let me make you a plate."

The others looked up at the pair came into the room.

"Caddie" Leo's somber expression turned into a wide grin as she rushed towards him and hugged him tight.

Piper watched as Cadence tightened her grip over his shoulders and buried her face into his neck. If she was honest with herself, she would admit that Cadence and Leo had a special bond that she couldn't help but be a little bit jealous of.

"We saved you some pizza." Jackson shoved the box towards her when they finally broke apart.

Cadence wiped at the tears in the corner of her eyes with her oversized sweatshirt and shook her head, "No thanks."

"You have to eat something." Piper insisted as she started fluttering around the kitchen.

"She hasn't eaten in days." Zoey supplied as she frowned at her sister who scowled in return.

"Shut up Zoey." Cadence snapped, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Girls please." Piper sighed before turning to the older of the two, "Cadence this isn't up for debate." She handed her a plate with lasagna, a slice of pizza, and some cesar salad.

"But Gramssss" Cadence whined. "This is so much food."

"Just eat what you can." Leo told her gently as Cadence looked towards Piper.

Piper bit her tongue, deciding it was best to choose her battles with this particular granddaughter, at least for now… she forced a smile and nodded. "Right of course." She agreed, "Just eat what you can." And with that she turned her back to her family to start the dishes and keep her mind preoccupied.


	3. Send me away with words of a love song

Thank you for the reviews. This chapter should provide some background and is very Piper-centric.

Shanebeckham: I know, I know, I'm sorry (And I do still appreciate all your help with the wiki). Perhaps I will come back to it some day. Until then, I hope this will tie you over!

Enjoy!

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><p>K-3<p>

She knew better by now than to try and bring her back. Melinda Halliwell wasn't coming back, that much was certain. But that didn't make it hurt any less and Piper was beginning to feel more and more helpless every moment.

"_I need to take the girls away from here." Melinda began shoving things into the old suitcase, her dark brown locks falling into her face from her messy bun, "I'm going to bind their powers and take them away." Melinda straightened to look at her mother. _

"_But I can protect you." Piper strode forward and clasped her daughter's hands, "All of you."_

_Melinda shook her head. _

"_Honey, please..." Piper begged. _

"_No Mom." The tears welled in her eyes, "I'm sorry but no." she hesitated a moment, "You could come with us, you and Daddy could come with us."_

_Pipers frown deepened, "You know we can't."_

"_Why not?" Melinda's eyes flashed as she pulled her hands away, "What's left for you here?" _

_Pipers lip quivered but she said nothing. _

_Melinda took a deep steadying breath and ran her fingers over her hair. After a moment she stepped towards her mother taking up her hands once again, "I love you." She looked into her mothers doe brown eyes that matched her own, "But I can't live this life anymore." She looked up at the ceiling as her own eyes pooled with tears, "Not after everything that's happened", a lump formed in her throat, "Everything we've lost." _

_Piper nodded, understanding all too well her daughters inner torment, but still a tear rolled down her cheek and that killed Melinda. "I'm sorry." She whispered, "It's just, it's too dangerous." She lifted her thumb to her mothers cheek to wipe away her tear. "I won't be far away."_

_Piper swallowed the lump in her throat, "You'll call. If anything happens, you'll call? If you need any help-"_

"_Mom I still have my powers, I can protect the girls." Melinda assured her. _

_Piper nodded quickly, "I know. Of course I know, it's just, without your brothers…"_

"_Getting out of San Francisco will put us off the grid." Melinda reminded her mother for what felt like the hundredth time; she had been toying with the idea of leaving the place she had grown up for quite some time, ever since the death of her brothers, cousins, husband, and friends. "It will be _better _this way."_

_Piper and Melinda had had this conversation many times since their lives had been turned upside-down. They had argued, cried, they had tried to compromise, but it was this moment that Piper knew there were no more compromises to be made. _

_There was no more reasoning with her daughter, she was much like her late aunt in that respect when she made her mind up about something, and just as stubborn as Piper herself. To be completely honest, she wasn't sure that moving away was the _wrong _decision. It just hurt to loosing her last living child. _

"_You're not loosing me Mom." Melinda took up her hand once again and gave them a tight squeeze. _

"_I know." Piper all but whispered, knowing emotions were running high and anyone, especially an empath like her daughter, could sense that. "I know" her voice shook as she breathed out and tried to steady herself, "It's just hard."_

"_I know." Melinda pulled her into a tight hug, "It's hard for me too. I'm going to miss you so much." She whispered into her mothers shoulder as her own eyes welled with tears once again. _

"_If you need _anything" _Piper stressed, "I'm just a call away."_

Piper smoothed out the map of San Francisco that held several red circles, many blue dots, and a few purple dots.

The red circles identified the demonic power surges and ultimately, areas controlled by evil that had come above ground after the death of her oldest son.

The blue dots stood for the sites dedicated to the imprisonment of witches and other magical creatures. Each blue dot was marked with a 'W' for witches, the most of which the blue dots stood for, 'MC' for Magical Creatures, and 'D' for Demons. The imprisonments were both magically restricting jails and laboratories.

The witches were most susceptible, as they lived by a code to protect innocents and therefore many refused to use their powers against mortals. Some, however, broke this code, going underground to join the demons in a war against the mortals. Others, much like herself, simply went into hiding, denying their Wiccan ancestry to the world abandoning their quest to fight for the greater good.

Possibly the most disturbing, were the purple dots. Piper massaged her head as she looked at the dots that marked the sites of the modern day witch trials, where witches, demons, and magical creatures alike were burned for their supposed 'Crimes Against Humanity'.

Piper, however, felt a deep rooted obligation, being the matriarch of the Halliwell line, to do whatever she could to protect the innocent, whether it be magical creatures or otherwise.

After the death of Wyatt, and of Chris, she took over her youngest sons role as the leader of the Resistance. Chris had formed the Resistance when the demons had started to move above ground; of course, it wasn't until their untimely death that the demons were fully able to organize above ground, and thus erupted the world into chaos.

A chaos that Piper felt she at least needed to _try _to control and the only way she felt she could do this, was by re-organizing the Resistance. Her youngest son had left big shoes to fill, he had devoted his entire adult life to the cause. Being apart of that cause kept her close to him.

Chris had never settled down, gotten married, or had a family like Wyatt and Melinda. He worked tirelessly, often times to the point of exhaustion, but it was the nightmares that worried Piper the most. When Chris turned 18, he received memories from his past, future self. He knew about Wyatt turning to the other side, the death and destruction, he knew about how his future self had gone back in time to prevent that future, and he knew that he had died in the process. But the fact that it had all been for nothing, and the demons might take over anyways, under the rule of a new source, was too much for Chris to handle.

It was likely the memories, the nightmares, that drove his passion to stop whatever evil it was that would destroy his future, their future, again. And yet, as close as he was with both his siblings, he never shared the memories with them. They never knew the internal battle that constantly waged within their brothers soul, and they never would. He was trying to protect them.

Of course they would have tried to understand, but both Piper and Chris knew they couldn't. Even she couldn't comprehend what _his _future had been like. It was something she struggled with often. And for this reason the regret of Chris's death haunted her slightly more than the others. He had had such a heavy cross to bear, and in the face of adversity and death, he had shown only strength, determination, and a great deal of courage that made Piper proud to say that Christopher Perry Halliwell was her son.

All of her children had possessed these traits in similar, yet different ways, Wyatt was a natural leader, he was bold, innovative, and brave. Melinda was a defender, she would do anything for those she cared for and those she had never met. They were all independent, headstrong, and despite everything, they never forgot where they came from, they always knew where they were going, what they had to do.

Even though Melinda had moved away, like Piper, she couldn't resist helping those in need. Despite a significant power loss after the death of her brothers, Melinda was still a powerful witch in her own right. It was Pipers guess that the demons had tracked her through the surge of good magic and killed her before she could call out for help…

And even though Piper knew better, she had to try because she couldn't bear the thought of not trying, of being stuck in a perpetual wondering of what could have been.

Piper began to chant, "In this night and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power, bring back my daughter…" tears cascaded down her cheeks as she looked skyward before carefully turning the pages of the ancient spell book.

"Power of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies, come to us who call you near, come to us and settle here." Piper placed several of the herbs that lay scattered in front of her into the cauldron before picking up the athame, she held it for a second, blade in the palm of her hand before using her other hand to quickly pull it away.

She squeezed her fist over top of the cauldron letting her blood drip down, "Blood to blood, I summon thee, blood to blood, return to me." She all but whispered as the candle flickered ever so slightly.

Piper watched it for a moment, just as she did every time one of her family members had passed on, she watched it flicker, before dropping her hands in defeat. The spell hadn't worked, at least, not the way she wanted, however, she did anticipate her sisters and great nieces and nephews showing up at the funeral through no will of there own.

She sighed, every time she preformed the spell, unsuccessfully at that, she felt a little more hallow inside. This was the only spell in the book that had _never_, not once, worked for her. A part of her felt as though the book had let her down, as if magic had just abandoned her, abandoned them, and after everything they had don't…It wasn't fair. She shook her head, willing the tears away, she couldn't think like that. Life wasn't fair, least of all to the Halliwells, but that didn't mean that there still wasn't a job to do and she was the one who had to do it.

Piper wiped at her eyes, tears wouldn't bring family members back from the dead.

She would do what she had to do to keep her progeny safe and make her children proud.

They were after all, Halliwells, through and through.

And, just as she was, they were survivors until their very last breaths.


	4. Ain't even grey but she buries her baby

I think Soraya asked a couple chapters ago: Jackson and Jayda are siblings and they're Wyatt's kids.

Please let me know what you think, I've got lots of good ideas for this story!

-Ross

* * *

><p>K-4<p>

Piper smiled politely as she received the guests to her daughters funeral. The crowd was small, and yet significant seeing as her daughter no longer lived in San Francisco. There was also the matter of times and the vast amount of deaths that swept across the city every day.

San Francisco marked the modern day powerhouse of magic because of its close proximity to the Charmed Ones and the current Source of All Evil. The mortals, of course, were none the wiser; only having ever heard rumors of the infamous Charmed Ones and the feared Source.

In the past, the magical home base had belonged to places such as Egypt, Germany, and Cuba. However the times of limiting magic was over as good and evil energy now pulsed rapidly throughout most of the world.

Piper paused in her ritual of muttering thank-yous, smiling reassuringly, and shakking peoples hands, that now appeared to have become almost second nature. She was pulled out of her own thoughts by a familiar face, "Phoebe" she breathed, falling into her sisters arms as Phoebe Halliwell hugged her older sister tightly, and finally Piper was unable to hold back her tears any longer "You came" She managed through her tears.

"Of course I came." Phoebe's voice was soft and gentle as she rubbed comforting circles onto Pipers back.

Finally the two sisters pulled back to take each other in, Phoebe was dressed in a black pant suit, her auburn hair pulled back into a messy, stylish bun. Piper wiped at the corners of her eyes with a tissue that she had fished from her pocket.

Phoebe frowned, "I'm so sorry Pipe." She whispered as she glanced down the procession line at her niece's children and Leo.

"It's okay." Piper replied in a detached tone, falling back into the role of the strong matriarch ever so helplessly.

"It's not okay." Phoebe's voice was full of emotion as she grabbed Pipers hands and gave them a tight squeeze, as Pipers lower lip trembled.

"Cole and I…" Phoebe began somewhat hesitantly, "We want to come stay here for awhile."

Pipers eyes widened but she couldn't hide the shock in her voice, "You do? Why?"

Phoebe quirked an eyebrow, but she couldn't help the sad expression that fell over her lips, "I think you know why." She replied as she picked at her cuticles, lowering her voice, "Things are getting out of control…" she cleared her throat, "Anyways, now is not the time or the place to get into that. We've booked a couple rooms at the Sheraton."

"W-what about the girls?" Piper asked her mouth hanging open slightly in shock.

"They're coming." Phoebe nodded as Piper looked at Cole standing behind her sister who gave her a curt nod.

"But they have school and you have work in New York." Piper reasoned.

"So I retire a bit early." Phoebe winked at her sister. "And the girls can go to school in San Francisco for a bit."

"Are you sure? I mean- can you do that?" Piper stammered still in shock, "Not that I don't want you here-"

"Piper" Phoebe put both her hands on her sisters shoulders, "Breathe, okay? This is a good thing."

Piper shook her head, "I don't know if it's safe Phoebe." She whispered, unwilling to put her younger sister and her grandchildren in danger.

"What did we always say?" Phoebe asked, Piper blinked, "We're stronger together."

Piper nodded after a moment, "Well then, I don't know how long you're planning on staying…"

"However long it takes." Phoebe replied.

Piper nodded again, "Right, well, then you should stay at the manor, after all it's your home too."

Phoebe smiled, "I'd like that."

Piper let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and smiled back at her sister, "Me too." She admitted.

* * *

><p>Piper and Phoebe stood in the corner of the visitation hall talking in hushed tones.<p>

"So, is Paige coming?" Phoebe asked as she glanced around, slightly surprised her younger sister hadn't made an appearance yet.

"I don't know." Piper lied, knowing her youngest sister would be showing up sooner or later thanks to the spell she had cast the evening before.

"Hm." Phoebe nodded as she scanned the crowd.

"So the girls…?" Piper began.

"They're just getting settled at the hotel." Phoebe replied as she munched on a carrot absentmindedly. "I haven't told them yet about the semi-permanent move."

"Are they going to be okay with it?" Piper asked, Phoebe shrugged, "They are teenagers after all."

"You let me worry about them." Phoebe replied as she kept her eyes on Cadence and Zoey. "How are your girls doing?"

Piper sighed as she ran a hand through her long dark hair, "As well as can be expected." Piper admitted, "Cadence is…" she shook her head, "Very angry…and sad…" she observed her sister, "But I take it you already knew that."

Phoebe shrugged, "You don't have to be an empath to know that." She replied. "And Zoey?"

"She's putting up a brave front." Piper replied, "But to be honest, I'm more worried about her than I am Caddie-"

Piper was startled as an arm was slung around her shoulders, "Miss me?"

"Paige!" Phoebe squealed as she pulled both her sisters into an embarrassingly awkward group hug.

Paige was the first to disentangle herself as Phoebe kept one arm wrapped around Pipers waist. Paige smoothed out her black dress, "I'll take that as a yes." She gave a half smile, "How are you holding up?" she asked Piper gently.

Piper gave her baby sister a half hearted attempt at a smile, "We're managing."

Paige nodded understanding all too well what her sister was going through, "Well if there's anything I can do-"

-"Actually" Phoebe cut her off.

-"Phoebe" Piper warned.

"What?" Phoebe asked innocently.

"What?" Paige looked between her two sisters confused.

Piper massaged her temples, "Nothing."

"Cole and I are moving back to San Francisco." Phoebe announced.

"What? Why?" Paige looked between her two sisters.

"It's time." Phoebe answered simply as Cole appeared behind her supportively.

Paige took in both of her sisters and nodded, "It's time." She agreed.


	5. With or without you

Thanks to those who are reading and Shanebeckham for the review, I promise, this story will be worth the read.

Hope you enjoy!

-Ross

* * *

><p>K-5<p>

"Leo's actually been working on turning the basement into a small apartment." Piper explained as she flicked the light switch on and moved to go down the stairs.

Her eyes flicked to Phoebe who hesitated ever so slightly before following, "Don't worry." Piper's grin flashed ever so slightly, "There's no woogey in the house."

"I know that." Phoebe swatted Pipers shoulder, "I know." She replied as she followed her sister into the basement of their old house, "But it still gives me the creeps." She muttered under her breath as she watched her step.

Only looking up when her feet met a soft, grey, shag carpet.

Phoebe looked up at her sister who had a triumphant grin on her face and her hands on her hips as Phoebe's eyes widened at the transformation as she strode into the room.

"Piper this is beautiful." She ran her hand along the marble bar of the small kitchen.

"I thought it would be perfect for Jackson, Jayda, and Maya." Piper replied, Phoebe nodded.

"Perfect." Phoebe agreed as she spun around taking it all in.

"And then Brooke and Bryn can share Jack's old room and you and Cole can move into your old room." Piper explained her plan. "Are you sure Paige is alright finding a place of her own?"

Phoebe waved her hand in the air dismissively, "She's fine."

"Are you sure because we could make room…"

"And have ten teenagers under the same roof?" Phoebe peaked up over the door of the fridge. "Are you crazy?"

"There's no food in there." Piper commented watching her sister.

Phoebe sighed and shut the fridge door, "Seven will be more than enough."

"I guess you're right." Piper agreed, "Shit it going to hit the fan when Jayda finds out about all this. She is like…" Piper scrunched her hands in the air as she tried to find the right words to describe her eldest granddaughter, "She's like a nightmare."

Phoebe snorted.

"I'm serious." Piper told her sister pointedly. "I love the girl to death but I legitimately feel bad for anyone who has to live with her."

"We've got thick skin, we'll be fine." Phoebe replied.

"She can't be that bad." Phoebe commented.

"Jayda is, well, she's like you" Piper gestured at her sister.

Phoebe wrinkled her nose, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh common Phoebe. We all know your teenage years were not your finest."

"Yes, I was a horrible teenager." Phoebe grumbled, "Woe was had by all."

"Yes, well, now I know _exactly _how Grams felt all those years ago."

"Right, well, we'll deal with it. We are the Charmed Ones after all." Phoebe winked at her sister and Piper groaned aloud.

Phoebe ignored her, "Hey, what happened to all our stuff?" she looked at Piper who smirked, "You didn't put it in the attic did you, we're going to have to get up there ya know and I don't-"

"Relax Phoebe" Piper drawled, "There's an enchantment on the cold cellar, everything is stored safely in there."

Phoebe raised her eyebrows, "Personal gain?" she reprimanded lightly a smirk playing on her lips.

"Yeah…well…."

"So it seems you've turned over a new leaf?" Phoebe continued, her smile continuing to grow.

"So it seems." Piper replied somewhat sarcastically.

"What happened?" Phoebe asked as she jumped up on one of the bar stools and swung her legs back and forth childishly.

For a moment Piper watched her, amazed at how youthful Phoebe was for her age, before she ran her fingers through her hair, "I denno Pheebs" she sighed, "Times change, people change."

"Not that much." Phoebe countered.

_Obviously _Piper thought to herself with a well concealed snort, her sister was just as much the 'youngest' as she ever was.

"Well," Piper replied as she began fiddling around with the knickknacks on the fireplace mantle, adjusting them here, and there as she trailed her finger along the edge to check for dust. "you and Paige have been gone a long time. I've had to adapt. And if sometimes that means using a little personal gain than so be it."

Phoebe hopped down from her stool, "Piper I wasn't trying to-"

Piper held up her hand to stop her, "I know." She closed her eyes.

Phoebe took a hesitant step closer, "I know we abandoned you and…" Phoebe's had been trying to stay strong for her sister but now her eyes welled with unshed tears, as she allowed herself to fully succumb to Piper's anger, resentment, guilt, and saddness that Phoebe had been trying her best to not overwhelm her ever since she first arrived, "for that I am so sorry."

"Phoebe you don't have to-"

Phoebe swallowed the lump in her throat, "-Yes. I do. Because it wasn't fair. We _all _lost them. We all-" she looked at the ceiling. "We were trying to do what we thought was best at the time, to protect our families. But we should never have left."

"Phoebe-"

"We left you here alone to deal with this mess and-" Phoebe bit her lip to try and stop the tears that were now cascading down her cheeks, "-and I am so sorry. But I was scared, and so was Paige…"

"So was I!" Piper replied more harshly than intended.

"I know." Phoebe rushed forward and took up her hands. "And maybe if we had stayed things would have been different, maybe we would have been able to…"

Piper knew where she was going and she sighed, all but four of their children had been killed in the battle of good against evil. Melinda, both of Phoebe's daughters, Prue and Penny, and Paige's son Henry Jr. had survived the battle. Over the next years there were three more attacks that took the lives of the last remaining children of the second generation.

"We can't think like that." Piper told her as she attempted a deep calming breath.

"I know." Phoebe nodded through her tears, "It's just, hard."

Piper pulled Phoebe towards her and held her tight, cradling her in her embrace as she tightened her hold as her sister cried. They had lost so much that being reunited after all these years felt surreal, and yet at the same time, it felt right.

* * *

><p>"Okay." Phoebe hugged her sister and her brother in-law, "I'm going to go." She looked between them, "I'll see you at the Church?"<p>

Piper nodded, "Thanks Pheebs."

Phoebe smiled, "Of course."

Piper closed the door behind her sister and turned to Leo feeling overwhelmed, "I can't believe she's back."

Leo smiled a little, "Are you relieved?"

Piper wrung her hands together, "I'm not sure whether to be relieved or worried…Paige and Phoebe moving home is great, but we're not young witches anymore Leo and if something happens to them…" she shook her head not wanting to think about it.

Leo pulled her towards him, "My biggest concern is the kids." She sniffled into his shoulder, "I don't want them to loose anyone else. I don't want them to get hurt."

"You and your sisters will be able to protect them." Leo promised as he rubbed her back.

"Will we?" Piper pulled back and looked him in the eye, "We couldn't protect our own kids." She whispered as the pain of her daughters looming funeral returned making her heart feel heavy. "They died because I couldn't protect them."

"They didn't die because of you Piper, they died because of who _they _were, and what they believed in." Leo wiped a tear from her cheek. "Nothing is going to happen to our grandkids." Leo whispered into her ear.

Piper hugged him tightly, "Promise?"

"I promise."


	6. Love you forever

MissyCole23: Glad you like the story. 'It Wasn't Meant to Be' is on a very likely permanent hiatus unless this story inspires me somehow...

ChickenBake: Yes, yes, I'm back. Won't leave you waiting.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>K-6<p>

Piper Halliwell watched miserably as they lowered the coffin of her last remaining child into the ground.

Melinda was laid between her brother Chris and her husband Jamie.

Phoebe laced her fingers through Piper's and gave her hand a squeeze while keeping her other arm wrapped firmly around Paige's shoulders.

None of the sisters cried, although Piper leaned against Leo for support, not trusting herself to remain upright on her own.

Leo's eyes were clouded with tears as he held tightly onto Piper. He stole a glance at his granddaughters who were standing side by side while their mother was placed in the ground.

Zoey grabbed Cadence's hand and for once, Cadence didn't pull away. Silent tears, like an illusion, rolled down her cheeks as she pulled her younger sister protectively into her side.

And then with the first shovel of dirt onto the coffin, it was done.

* * *

><p>Jayda came striding into the kitchen, her heels clicking with little frantic beats against the linoleum, as she spun around, spotting her grandmother with a steaming glare.<p>

"Where's Jackson?" she demanded, the reception still going on as she spun on her toes. Piper's reprimanding glare not going unnoticed as she fought to steady her calm.

Piper sighed, feigning a smile at their guest before she hissed at her quietly. "I'm sure he's just perusing the crowds." she took her glass, brimmed with wine, sipping it lightly as she touched her temples. Her instincts falling into place then, noting her granddaughter's forward glance, but the fuse in her head telling her at a point, why bother, as she sighed. Questioning anyway, as she traced a line against the floral designs etched on the antique chair beside her. "Are you alri—?"

"No I am not alright, damnit," she seethed, all but stomping her foot as she sighed. "Just tell me?" she demands, her voice shaking.

Setting down her glass, Piper pinched the bridge of her nose, rising from her chair as she takes the girls arm. "Lower your voice, okay?" her eyes were a veil, a timid calm tracing through her veins as she leveled with the girl before her.

"I know you know where he is," Jayda spouts, lowering her voice none the less as she casts a glance around the spacious room.

In spite of her mood, her turmoil, Piper tried at best to break it gently to the girl, rivaling with her words as she took her arm. "He needed some time."

"Some time," Jayda pressed, her eyes lowering as she speaks heatedly. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!"

Tugging her arm, Piper pulled the girl from the room, unable to take the stares of company any longer as she fluidly jerks her in place. "Upstairs, now," she commanded, not a hint of civility about it as she steps towards the stairway.

"No, don't touch me," Jayda protests, another pull dragging her forward, and in spite of her words she found herself following, a sheath of tears falling over her eyes as she went, exempting her attitude.

"Listen to me," when she wouldn't meet her eyes, Piper tugged her cheek forward, forcing her to meet her gaze. "Go upstairs," she ordered once more. "I will find Jackson," Piper interprets Jayda's pouting lips, "but I want you upstairs, and now, do you understand me?" she told her in a no nonsense tone as she marched her granddaughter towards the steps.

"He's my brother," Jayda refuses, folding her arms against her chest as she heaved a sigh.

"Damnit Jayda, this isn't a game, alright!" her lips quivered as she spoke, her heart tearing in her stomach as she gestured towards the stairs. Reminding her again to leave as she backs away, "We all lost them, okay?" she hadn't meant for it to be a question as went, closing her eyes, but she couldn't be bothered. Not one bit as she started back into the crowd.

Meanwhile Jayda bursts into tears as she rushed up the stairway.

* * *

><p>Jackson stood a little ways back, keeping an eye on the girls as they knelt at the now covered grave.<p>

Cadence had refused to leave the grave, Zoey had refused to leave her sister, and Jackson had volunteered to stay and keep an eye on the girls; and besides all that, he needed to clear his head.

Piper had been reluctant to leave them, especially with the heavily armed guards that patrolled the edges of the cemetery, but Leo had convinced her to give them some time. After all, the guards were there to protect mortals from any witch, demon, or otherwise magical creature that may try to infiltrate the sacred space with their treachery and as for as anyone knew, the grandchildren of the Charmed Ones were mortal.

Jackson rocked back and forth on his heels, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his leather jacket as he glanced around.

Cemetery's made him uncomfortable, maybe it was because more of his family lay underneath the grounds than he would care to admit. Or maybe it was the haunting sensation that reminded him he wasn't alone.

Maybe in another time, he would have attributed this feeling to nerves, superstition, maybe even hope that his loved ones lived on, but in _this_ time, he knew better. He knew that this feeling was real and that they were never alone. Not really.

To be honest, he couldn't quite decide if the feeling was comforting or frightening; this other world that he couldn't comprehend, that he knew so little about, had stolen so much from him, from all of them.

* * *

><p>A slender hand with coral painted nails knocked on the bedroom door before pushing it open.<p>

"_Get out!" _

Brooke Turner leaned in the doorway as she took in her cousin. She drummed her fingers on the door handle as she pulled her mid long chocolate waves into a messy ponytail her brown eyes locked on the figure in front of her.

Jayda had her back to Brooke as she looked out of the window, a bottle of Jack Daniels clutched tightly in her right hand that tremored ever so slightly.

Brooke stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. "So, I hear we're going to be roommates."

Jayda turned to glare at the other girl, "What?" her voice was hoarse and her eyes were red from crying.

"Trust me, I'm not thrilled about it either." Brooke sat down on the bed daintily.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jayda took another swig from the bottle and turned back around, "Now get out."

"I can't imagine Aunt Piper will be thrilled to hear about your drinking problem." Brooke examined her nails.

Now Jayda wiped around and eyed the other girl evilly as she seriously contemplated chucking the bottle at her head. I mean, they _could _have another funeral tomorrow, all the dishes were out and they basically knew who to invite. But then, Jayda seemingly decided that it wasn't worth her energy, nor was it worth wasting her alcohol.

"Wow, if looks could kill." Brooke commented dryly.

"Brooke." Jayda let out a low growl.

"Aw shucks, you remembered." Brooke strode forward taking the bottle of whiskey from her cousin and taking her own swig.

Jayda only cocked her head to the side slightly in response.

"Maybe we got off on the wrong foot?" Brooke offered the bottle back to her.

"I don't think so." Jayda replied as she snatched the bottle back.

Brooke rolled her eyes as the door opened once again and another, slightly older girl with longer dark brown hair entered, looking between the two, her eyes lingering on Jayda, "Jayda" she greeted dryly, "Just as annoying and immature as ever I see."

"Right back at you." Jayda snapped.

Maya Turner took a deep breath as she fought to steady her calm, "Grams sent me up here to find you both." Her eyes lingered on the bottle, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Brooke chirped.

Maya's eyes flashed at her cousin, "Shut up Brooke."

"I'm just trying to stay out of the way." Jayda replied as she sank down onto the seat of the window.

Maya took a seat on the bed, "You need to pull it together." She commented although her voice softened. "Today isn't about _you_."

"She was my aunt. The last remaining member of my family." Jayda replied as she moved to take another swig just as Maya swiped the bottle from her and took a drink of her own.

"_Our _family." Maya corrected. "And that's not exactly true."

Jayda glared at her annoyed, "What do you want?" she looked between the girls.

"What makes you think we want something?" Brooke asked.

"Why else would you be here, in my room, drinking my alcohol?" Jayda replied tiredly.

Maya took another swig and handed the bottle back to Jayda and she glanced at Brooke before locking eyes once again with Jayda, "We need to talk."


	7. Don't you wanna stay

Yes, a quote here and there does seem to make the story more 'charmed' if you will.

Let me know what you think please.

-Ross

* * *

><p>K-7<p>

"No. Absolutely not." Jayda walked as quickly as she could without stumbling or breaking into a run.

"Come on Jayda." Maya followed behind her, her voice laced with irritation, "Time to grow up."

Jayda wheeled around and this time she did chuck the liquor bottle clutched in her hand, directly at her older cousins head.

Maya ducked just in time to avoid being hit as the bottle smashed against the wall behind her and shattered.

"You are fucking crazy!" Jayda screamed, "I mean, do you even hear yourself."

"I'm crazy!" Maya yelled back, loosing her temper now, "You just chucked a bottle at my god damn face! I think you need to reassess your definition of crazy!"

"Shut up!" Jayda screamed as she gripped her hair, "_Just shut up!_"

"Ooh kay." Brooke had rounded the corner a moment earlier as she took in the broken bottle, the stained wall, and the shattered picture frames before looking from one cousin to the other, "I think we all need to take a deep breath before-"

"What the _hell _is going on?" Phoebe Halliwell stood with her hands on her hips as she looked from her two granddaughters to her great niece.

Jayda's hands were balled into fists as she shook with anger and fear.

"Nothing Grams." Maya finally answered.

Phoebe eyed her, knowing she was lying, but for some reason she always had more trouble reading Maya's emotions than she did with any of her other relatives.

"The guests are barely out of the house a minute and-" Phoebe stressed just as Cole came around the corner and rested his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm his wife. Phoebe took a deep breath, knowing it was a hard day for everyone, "Clean this up." Her voice was an icy calm as she turned on her heel and left the hallway.

"You heard your grandmother." Cole lingered a moment longer as he locked eyes with Brooke and then Maya, "We'll talk about this later." He told them before he too turned and left.

The cousins were silent for a moment, until Brooke spoke, "You can't tell." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Jayda narrowed her eyes at her cousins, "Says who?"

* * *

><p>Piper closed the door behind the last of their guests, "Is everything okay up there?" she asked Phoebe.<p>

Phoebe nodded as she sunk down onto the chair, "I took care of it." She sighed as her hand found her temple.

Paige strode towards the stairs, "Was it…"

"Demons?" Piper finished as sat down on the arm of her sisters chair, Phoebe shook her head.

"Teenagers." She replied as she massaged her temples.

Piper quickly got up, "Are they alright?" she asked, her voice laced with concern, just as the front door swung open and Piper turned to find Jackson. "Where are the girls?" she asked as her heart dropped into her stomach and she immediately felt sick.

"They won't leave." Jackson admitted.

"So you just left them _there_!" Piper voice rose several octaves. "What were you thinking?"

"I tried to call…" Jackson looked tired. "Like ten times."

"Well I was a little busy." Piper snapped as she moved to grab her coat.

"I'll come with you." Leo offered as he grabbed the keys off the hanger.

Piper shrugged on her jacket, "Can you-" she looked helplessly towards the stairs.

"Of course." Phoebe nodded.

"Thank you." Piper breathed as she moved towards the car.

"Do you want me to come?" Jackson offered.

"Just stay here." Piper pointed at him, "You've done enough for one day." And with that she was gone.

"Oh honey." Paige moved towards him and gave his shoulders a squeeze, "It's not you. It's just…"

"I know." Jackson replied, but his shoulders remained slumped.

Phoebe pushed herself up from the chair, "Why don't I fix you something to eat?" she suggested.

"Thank Aunt Phoebe but I'm not really hungry." Jackson replied feeling guilty about leaving his cousins. "I think I'll just go to bed."

He gave them a halfhearted smile as he headed for the stairs.

"Um you might want to-" Paige began but he was already gone.

The creaking of the stairs echoed in the old house as the four older people exchanged knowing looks and then, "What the hell?" could be heard from upstairs.

* * *

><p>"I knew I shouldn't have left them." Piper's hands shook as she gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles as she sped towards the cemetery. "I knew this was a bad idea. I just knew it."<p>

"Piper, honey, are you okay?" Leo asked.

Piper bit back a chortled laugh, "Am I okay? Melinda is _dead_. Cadence and Zoey are out there somewhere _alone_. Jackson and Jayda are _clearly _out of their minds. I am not even in the _vicinity _of okay. How did this happen? What am I supposed to do?"

"Maybe you want to slow down…" Leo suggested as they wiped around a corner at full speed.

"Slow down? Slow down!" Piper all but shrieked. "Our _girls _are out at…" she glanced at the clock, "Ten after nine _Leo_!"

"Honey, just try to relax." Leo instructed.

"Would you stop telling me to relax already?" Piper snapped at him.

"Well we don't have time for you to lose it." Leo commented as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Well too bad!" Piper shot back at him, "Because I am loosing it! Whether we have time for it or not!"

Leo took a deep breath, "Listen to me, getting worked up isn't going to do the girls any good."

"You don't think I know that?" Piper hissed.

"And the odds are they're fine." Leo continued.

"I'm not willing to take odds on my granddaughters lives." Piper snapped as she pulled into the cemetery parking lot as quickly exited the car with Leo on her heels.

The guard strode towards them, "Cemetary's closed for the evening." He told her.

"My granddaughters, they were visiting they're mothers grave, she just passed away and-"

"I'm sorry, everyone's left." He replied curtly.

"Are you sure because-"

"Ma'am. I'm positive, I checked it myself."

Piper looked around, "They're just kids, they shouldn't be out alone at night."

He crossed his arms, "I guess you should have thought of that before."

Piper clenched and unclenched her fists as she glanced around.

"Piper…" Leo began.

"Ma'am I suggest you get back in your car and-"

Piper flicked her fingers and the man froze mid sentence. "Are you crazy!" Leo hissed into her ear. "Unfreeze him before someone sees."

"I have to make sure they're not in there Leo." Piper replied as she moved towards the gate.

"There are security cameras." Leo eyed the watch tower nervously as he caught up with her and jerked her fluidly in place, "_Piper."_

With another discrete flick of her wrist the security camera exploded, she glanced at the lock and it too exploded, granting her entry to the enclosed cemetery yard.

"Wait here." She called over her shoulder, "I'll be right back."

Leo growled under his breath as he shot a nervous glance at the security guard before heading back towards the old Jeep in search of his cell phone.

* * *

><p>"What is going on?" Jackson ground out as he looked at his sister and cousins.<p>

"Jack." Jayda breathed as she moved towards him, slipping her arm around his as she moved behind him in a very uncharacteristic way. "They're…"

"Jayda don't…" Maya took a threatening step forward.

"Or what?" Jayda shot back, "You'll light me on fire?"

Jackson looked from his sister to his cousin, but pulled his sister further behind him nonetheless.

"She doesn't know what she's talking about." Maya told Jackson.

"I know what I saw." Jayda replied with tears in her eyes.

"Someone better tell me what the hell is going on, _right now_." Jackson's voice had hardened. He looked between Maya and Brooke, when both girls neglected to fill him in he turned and took hold of Jayda's shoulder.

"Jay" he whispered as she glanced over his shoulder to make sure her supposed cousins weren't doing anything.

The tears rolled down her cheeks as she struggled to find her words. "She made fire."


	8. Sink me in the river at dawn

Hope ya'll are enjoying.

Soraya: Glad you like Piper and Leo; More of Phoebe and Cole to come.

Redneckgal11234: Yup you betcha ;) thanks.

Please let me know what you think.

-R

* * *

><p>K-8<p>

"She's drunk." Maya scoffed.

Jackson turned around to face his cousin, remaining protectively in front of his sister his blue eyes locked onto Mayas brown ones as she scoffed, "Come on Jackson, who are you going to believe?"

Jackson took a deep inhale, his cousin seemed so convincing, and she was right, Jayda didn't have a great track record; his little sister did have a thing for the bottle and making up stories…He glanced back, than again, he had never seen her like this.

"We just need your help." Brooke who had been silent all but whispered tearing all eyes to her.

Maya's eyes flashed, "Shut up Brooke."

Brooke took a step back from her cousin and Jackson took a step forward, Jayda still clinging to his arm.

"Kids?" Phoebe called from the landing, "Is everything okay?"

Maya gave Jackson a pointed look, reluctantly he cleared his throat, "Everything's fine Aunt Phoebe, just, cleaning up." He eyed the broken remains of the Jack Daniels bottle on the floor.

Jackson looked back up to his cousins, "What do you mean you need our help?"

* * *

><p>Piper slipped from the gate carefully as she muttered a quick spell under her breath that repaired the damaged lock and video camera.<p>

Leo strode towards her, "They're not in there." Piper informed him quickly as she glanced at the guard and then back at her husband, "Come on, get back in position."she ushered as she returned to the place she had stood when she had frozen the guard earlier.

Leo growled under his breath but obeyed his wife nonetheless.

With a flick of her wrist, the guard unfroze looking slightly dazed, he blinked, "What just happened."

"You refused to let us into the cemetery." Piper snapped as she tugged Leo's arm towards the car.

The guard looked from them back to the locked gate.

"Thanks for nothing." Piper quipped as she slammed the car door behind her and threw the jeep into drive, speeding out of the parking lot. "Now what?" she breathed, "Should we use the 'To Call A Lost Witch' spell?"

"Piper"

"Should we summon them?"

"Piper"

"Go home and scry?" she continued her rant ignoring Leo.

"Piper!"

Finally her head snapped around to her husbands, "What?" her voice was icy.

Leo sighed, "I called Caddie's cell phone. They were walking home. I told them to go into Mel's Dinner on Young Street to wait for us to pick them up there." Leo told her calmly.

Piper let out a sigh of relief before giving Leo an apologetic look, "I'm sorry, it's just, if anything happens to them…" she shook her head.

"I know." Leo nodded understanding his wifes turmoil. "Lets just find them and get home." He glanced up at the dark swirling clouds above them that had absolutely nothing to do with the weather, "It looks like a storms coming."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you're actually going to listen to them." Jayda stood at one end of the room with her arms crossed protectively over her chest.<p>

Jackson sat on a chair as he stared expectantly at Maya and Brooke, "Show me."

Maya rolled her eyes, "Just hear me out-"

"_Show. Me._" Jackson's voice was dangerously low.

Maya let out a frustrated sigh as she flicked her thumb up and the end ignited with a small flame.

Jackson kept his eyes on the flame. "It's...not possible…" he muttered, "I mean, we're not magical."

"Oh it's possible." Maya deadpanned.

"I told you!" Jayda pointed a shaky finger, "She's a freak."

"Do you think I asked for this?" Maya shot back her eyes flashing dangerously as she retracted her thumb into her fist.

"So when you said you needed our help…"

"Just forget it." Maya grumbled, looking away.

"Maya" Brooke pushed but Maya said nothing and Brooke sighed, "She thinks that maybe her dad is still alive. That they're keeping him in one of those… facilities…"

"_Brooke!_" Maya yelled at her cousin.

"What?" Brooke shot back, "You said you needed their help."

"Why?" Jackson questioned, "Why would you need our help?"

"Because we're family." Brooke replied, "Which means we're all connected."

* * *

><p>Piper rushed into the 90's style dinner and immediately embraced the younger of the two girls. "I was so worried." She couldn't help the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes.<p>

"It's okay Grams." Zoey patted her grandmothers back gently.

"Are you alright?" Leo asked Cadence seriously.

Cadence shrugged.

"It's not okay." Piper stressed as she released her, "I know you girls are used to more freedom than this" Piper shook, "But _please _don't go wandering around by yourself at night. It's _too _dangerous."

"Jackson shouldn't have left." Leo added gently.

"It wasn't his fault Grandpa." Zoey said quietly refusing to meet their eyes as she scuffed her converse shoes against the floor. "We told him to go."

"We're not five years old. We're fully capable of walking a few blocks back to the manor." Cadence scoffed.

"Not when you can't protect yourself you're not." Piper told her trying to be firm but gentle at the same time.

"Isn't that what the guards on every corner are for?" Cadence argued.

"Cadence you have no idea what's out there" Piper inhaled a shaky breath before continuing, "and if someone or something really wanted to hurt you those guards would not be able to protect you."

"Oh and you could?" Cadence shot back.

Leo looked at his wife and Piper exhaled a breath, "Yes, I think I could."

"How?" Cadence countered. "How will you protect us when you're not magical!"

Piper glanced around at the stares that were starting to accumulate from the other restaurant patrons. "Cadence now is not the time nor the place to-"

"You didn't protect _Mom_!" Cadence yelled and the words pierced through Piper's heart but she remained strong.

"_Cadence!_" Zoey hissed angrily at her sister.

"What? It's true." Cadence snapped shooting an angry glance at Piper.

"Don't talk to your grandmother like that." Leo reprimanded.

"No it's okay Leo." Piper placed a hand on his forearm, "She's right." She locked eyes with Cadence, "But your mother wasn't here and you are so-"

"That's bullshit!" Cadence spat.

"Look, I should have been there and I wasn't. I will regret that every day for the rest of my life, but trust me when I say that I am _not_ going to make the same mistake twice." Piper took another deep unsteady breath, "Now go get in the car this discussion is over."

Cadence glared at her grandmother before storming towards the exit, throwing open the door of the dinner, the bell ringing frantically as the door clattered against the wall outside. Zoey, looked between her grandparents with a dishevelled type gleam in her eye before slinking towards the door after her sister.

Piper sighed, running a hand through her hair as she too began moving towards the door when Leo caught her arm, she looked up at him, his blue eyes were serious and filled with concern, "Piper." he swallowed the lump in his throat, "What happened tonight," he shook his head, "it can't happen again."

Piper pulled her arm from him, "I know." she replied.

* * *

><p>"No. No! <em>No! NO! NO!" <em>

"Jayda will you be quiet" Jackson hissed at his sister who was pacing the room, pulling at her long raven hair.

"This is not happening." Jayda muttered to herself.

"We don't know what's happening yet." Jackson replied "So just _calm down_." Jayda sunk into a chair as far away from Maya and Brooke as possible.

"All we know is-" he swallowed the lump in his throat, "Maya has powers."

"She could kill us." Jayda hugged her knees and rocked back and forth.

"But I'm not going to!" Maya shouted, but then added under her breath, "Unless you keep this up."

"How do you know magic comes from our side of the family and not your mom's?" Jackson asked.

"Dads body was never found. Moms was. I saw it." Maya shrugged.

"That doesn't mean it comes from our side." Jackson argued.

"I know what it means." Maya snapped.

Jackson turned to Brooke, "Do you have powers?"

Brooke hesitated, "No…but sometimes when I'm asleep I feel like I'm having an out of body experience or something…it feels really real and…"

Jackson shook his head, "That's not magic, it's just you dreaming."

"We should go to the police." Jayda spoke up suddenly, her voice no longer shaking.

All three young people rounded on her all speaking at the same time.

-"Are you crazy?"  
>-"They'll burn her! Or dissect her!"<br>-"I'm going to kill you!"

"We're not going to the police." Jackson looked between the girls, holding out his hands in an attempt to keep them at bay, "And no one is going to kill anyone. We're family."

Jayda snorted, "Barely."

Jackson gave her a firm look, "And family sticks together." He turned to lock eyes with Brooke and then Maya giving her a nod, "No matter what."


	9. Somebody that I used to know

Please let me know what you think. Thanks to those who have taken the time to leave a quick review!

* * *

><p>K-9<p>

"Is this _really _necessary?" Quinn asked as she followed her older cousins up the steps.

"Stop complaining." Paige told her youngest grandchild, "I'm sick of it."

"You're making us move half way across the country." Quinn snapped, "I have a right to complain."

"Look none of us like it-" Henry began as Paige shot him a look, "But we should be around family right now."

"We were happy in Seattle." Quinn continued as she pulled her strawberry blond curls around to the side.

"And you'll be happy again."

"Are you crazy?" Quinn asked, "It's like you just moved us into a war zone."

"Quinn Anne Mitchell, that is quite enough." Paige snapped as they reached the door, "Now I expect you to play nice" Paige all but mocked, "While your aunts and I discuss some things."

The older girl with auburn hair rolled her bright hazel eyes, "Really Grams." She asked as she exchanged a look with the dark haired young man next to her that had his hands shoved into his jean pockets and his headphones hanging loosely from the neck of his sweatshirt.

"Yes, Addie, _really_." Paige stressed as she rang the doorbell.

"Well this is just going to be a blast." The young man commented.

"Quit the sarcasm Max." Paige snapped, "I know this is _painful _for you all but get over yourselves. Contrary to popular belief the world does not revolve around you." she ground out just before the door swung open.

* * *

><p>Paige ushered her grandchildren towards the stairs, throwing the door closed behind them before letting out a sigh of relief. "They are so-"<p>

"Sweet?" Henry offered.

"That's not what I was going to say." she grumbled and Henry snorted.

"Ah give them a break. This is a big deal for them." Henry defended his grandchildren's behaviour.

"It's a big deal for all of us." Paige arched an eyebrow, "Are you seriously defending them?"

Henry shrugged, "Okay, you two, settle down." Piper interjected offhandedly.

"She's right." Phoebe straightened from her spot on the counter, "We need to get down to business." she locked eyes with each of her sisters, "It's time to save the world...again."

* * *

><p>"Well this is awkward." Quinn announced as they lingered on the bottom of the stairs.<p>

Several of the Halliwell clan glanced over, "Not just for you guys." A girl with long chocolate brown hair answered without looking up from the television.

Cadence who was curled up on a recliner snorted at her cousins remark but didn't look up from reading her book.

"Right, well, I'm Zoey." One of the girls moved towards the new comers awkwardly. "And that's Bryn and my sister Cadence." She pointed the two other girls out in sequence.

Addison shoved, Max and Quinn forward, "Hi." She greeted, "I'm Addison and this is Max and Quinn."

Some muffled sounds could be heard from the other room, "What's..." Addison gestured towards the bedroom door.

"Oh just ignore that." Zoey forced a smile.

"Not like you have a choice." Bryn commented bitterly, her dark brown irises narrowing ever so slightly in annoyance, "They've been at it all afternoon."

"Who?" Addison questioned staring down the hall.

"The others." Zoey sighed, "Jackson, Maya, Jayda, and Brooke. Come, sit." Zoey indicated at the couch and Addison once again shoved her cousins forward.

"What are they fighting about?" Max asked.

"Who knows." Bryn commented as she finally shifted her attention as the Kardashians on the television switched to a commercial break. "Popcorn?"

* * *

><p>"That's awfully ambitious Pheebs." Paige commented with a wary smile.<p>

"Yeah, well, ambitious is all we got." Phoebe replied as she looked up at Cole who nodded.

"If we're going to do this." Cole took over the floor, "We're going to have to be aggressive. Hit them with everything we've got."

"What about the mortals?" Leo asked.

"Who says I was talking about the demons?" Cole countered as he raised a cocky brow.

"Where does the Resistance stand?" Henry interupted his brother in-laws seemingly never-ending good vs. evil debate before it could materialize.

Piper pinched the bridge of her nose lightly, "In shambles." she replied, "Just like everything else."

"Well that" Paige clasped her hands together, "Is going to have to change now isn't it?"

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight." Jackson touched his temple as he attempted to sort through the chaos in his brain, "You think <em>we <em>can help you because _somehow _our dads were connected and together we make some sort of powerhouse team?"

"Not both of you, probably." Maya replied, "One of you…But I'm not sure if it's you, because you're first born, or her," she narrowed her eyes at Jayda secretly hoping it wasn't this cousin she was eternally bound to, "because she's a girl."

"And her being a girl means…" Jackson scratched his head.

"Makes her more likely to have powers."

"Why?"

"How should I know." Maya snapped impatiently sensing the conversation was about to turn circular again.

"The same way you know everything else about this."

"I don't know anything for sure Jackson." Maya told him, "There is no 'How to Guide to Magic' just laying around for me to look up at the local library. And even if there was, I'm not that stupid. Even if you _google _something magical, it sets off government red flags with enough evidence for an investigation and I don't know about you but I'm not so into the whole modern day witch hunt thing."

Jackson sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "Maybe we should ask the others if they've had anything…strange…happen to them."

"No." Brooke spoke for the first time in a while. "I _don't _want Bryn involved in this. It's not safe."

"But it could help us find out-" Jackson began to reason.

"I said _no_." Brooke replied jumping down from her spot on a stool, "And she's my sister, so _whatever _you're thinking forget about it."

"You have no idea what I'm thinking!" Jackson replied defensively.

"Whatever." Brooke replied as she left the room.

"Mood swing much." Jayda muttered under her breath.

Maya glared at her, "Oh yeah, 'cause you're one to talk."

"Okay, what about asking the grandparents." Jackson suggested after the door slammed shut.

Maya redirected her glare from Jayda to Jackson, softening it only slightly, "They wouldn't understand."

"So what is it _exactly _that you want me to do?" Jackson sighed asked.

Maya extended her arm, "Take my hand."

* * *

><p>Brooke slowed her pace as she entered the living area of the basement and took in the new arrivals as she sat down on the corner of the sofa beside her sister.<p>

"Hey." She greeted uncertainly, "I'm Brooke."

"Max."

"Addison."

"Quinn."

Brooke nodded as Bryn looked up at her, "What were you talking about in there?"

Brooke sighed as she ran her fingers through her sisters hair, "Nothing you need to worry about."

Bryn rolled her eyes, "Yeah okay."

"I'm serious." Brooke replied, "It's just, it's stupid." Again with the eye roll, "Don't do that." Brooke flicked her sisters arm.

"Don't." Bryn swatted her away.

"Don't be so annoying." Brooke growled under her breath. "It was nothing."

Cadence put down her book, "Liar."

Brooke raised her eyebrows as she found her cousins eyes while the three Mitchells cousins looked from one girl to the other, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Cadence readjusted her seating position so that her legs were hanging over the chair.

"You are way out of line." Brooke replied affronted.

"Am I?" Cadence challenged, "Than if it was nothing why did the four of you spend hours locked in that bedroom instead of discussing whatever is so top secret out here?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Brooke was trying to be nice considering the circumstances but her patience was already walking a thin line.

"Try me." Cadence replied.

"Cade-"

"Shut up Zoey." Cadence snapped as she leaned forward and quirked an inquisitive eyebrow at Brooke.

"Just let it go." Brooke told Cadence through gritted teeth.

"Oh come on." Bryn continued slightly more light heartedly, "We're all _dying _to know."

Brooke glared at her sister before opening her mouth, but her replied was cut off by a loud scream coming from the other room. She immediately jumped up from the couch, "_Stay here."_ she pointed at them.

"No way." Bryn followed her.

Max and Addison were on their feet, "What's going on?" Max demanded.

Cadence and Zoey were also standing as everyone listened to the thundering of footsteps from upstairs.

"_Stay here!" _Brooke swung around to face them as she continued to back up, looking more hysterical by the minute as she watched Bryn's face change from curious to confused to frightened.

"It's okay." Brooke reassured quickly, "Just stay." And with that she turned and ran towards the door of the room.

Brooke burst into the room, slamming, and locking the door behind her before spinning around.

Jayda was standing alone, hand clamped over her mouth, the other clutching her stomach.

"What happened?" Brooke demanded as she spun around looking for her other cousins, only to find the only other person in the room as she quickly strode towards her. "Where are they?" she asked.

When Jayda didn't reply Brooke grabbed her shoulders and shook them roughly, "_Where are they Jayda_?" she ground out, "What the hell happened?"

Jayda removed her hand from her mouth, shaking, "He took her hand…"

"And?" Brooke pressed.

"And then they both disappeared in this-this-this fire surrounded by blue lights." Jayda stammered as Brooke took in the information and spun back around to take in the empty room.


	10. Not all who wander are lost

Ah I guess I shouldn't have switched my original pen name. I wish you'd all review and let me know what you think!

* * *

><p>K-10<p>

A knock at the door caused both girls to jump, "Jackson! Jayda!" Pipers voice could be heard from the other side of the door, "Is everything okay in there?"

"Girls?" Phoebe sounded immediately after, "Open this door."

Brooke ran a shaking hand through her long dark brown hair as she whirled around to look at her cousin, "What do we do?" she asked.

"I-" Jayda began.

"_What do we do?" _Brooke ground out.

"I don't know." Jayda whispered.

"Common guys." Leo's voice pleaded from the other side of the door.

"Don't make me break down this door." Cole added.

Jayda quickly wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, "We tell them it's just us." She told her cousin, "That Maya and Jack went out for a bit."

"But wh-" Brooke began but didn't have a chance to finish her sentence when the door was kicked down.

Cole led the way into the room having kicked down the door, "What the hell is going on in here?" he demanded slightly out of breath as the other adults rushed into the room.

"Where are Jackson and Maya?" Piper asked noticing the absence of the two eldest cousins.

"They-they left." Jayda answered, it wasn't a complete lie.

"Left." Piper repeated, "Left where?"

Jayda shrugged, "How should I know." That wasn't a lie at all.

"When did they leave?" Phoebe asked.

"Awhile ago." Jayda answered, sounding more sure of herself with every breath.

Phoebe looked between the girls, "What happened in here?"

Jayda looked at Brooke, "We had a fight." Brooke answered.

"About what?" Phoebe eyed her up.

"Oh you know, girl stuff." Brooke replied. "Where are Bryn and the others?" she tried to look around her grandparents to see into the hall.

"Upstairs with Paige and Henry, why?" Phoebe replied suspiciously.

Brooke shrugged, "Just wondering."

"When are Jackson and Maya going to be back?" Piper questioned.

Jayda narrowed her eyes, "Like he tells me anything." She bit out before storming from the room.

"Jayda! Hey!" Piper called after her, "I'm talking to you!" only the slamming of the door answered her.

"Um…can I go too?" Brooke asked and Phoebe sighed as she scooted out of the room.

Phoebe looked at Piper, "They're lying."

"I know." Piper replied through ground teeth, "But why?"

* * *

><p>"Hey." Brooke caught up with Jayda and grabbed her arm, but Jayda ignored her, "<em>Hey!"<em>

Jayda shrugged her off before turning to glare at her, "What?" her tone was icy and Brooke was taken aback by just how different her cousin seemed.

"What are we going to do?" Brooke asked.

"What do you mean what are we going to do?" Jayda asked casually as she adjusted the collar of her leather jacket.

Brooke looked around and lowered her voice, "About Maya and Jack." She hissed, "What are we going to do?"

"_We _are going to do nothing." Jayda replied.

"What?"

"I don't have time for this." Jayda replied, "I'm leaving."

"Where are you going?" Brooke demanded.

"Hopefully" Jayda flashed a fake smile, "to find a stiff drink." She moved to leave but Brooke grabbed her arm and jerked it fluidly in place.

"They could be in danger." Brooke hissed angrily.

"Not my problem." Jayda growled as she yanked her arm back.

Brooke's eyes widened in disbelief before narrowing in anger, "Not your problem?" she repeated under her breath before her voice rose once again. "Screw you Jayda. Ten minutes ago you were crying like a baby and now your tough shit?" she shook her head, "All you care about is yourself so screw you!"

"They were here and now they're gone." Jayda shrugged, "Crisis averted." She paused with her hand on the door handle, "Besides, even if I wanted to, there's nothing we can do." And with that she left shutting the door closed behind her, as she headed down the front steps and jumped into the car she and her brother shared.

Jayda rested her head on the steering wheel and let the tears fall.

* * *

><p>"Something isn't right. Jackson wouldn't just leave." Piper swung the crystal over a map of the city. "And even if he did, why isn't the crystal picking up their location."<p>

"Maybe they're in an area that's blocked off from magic." Paige suggested.

"Or maybe the demons figured out who they are and kidnapped them." Cole suggested.

"No." Piper replied.

"Maybe they aren't even on this plane." Leo offered.

"Or maybe-" Phoebe began.

"I know what you're going to say." Piper cut her off, "And we've already discussed it, it's not possible."

"But what if it is." Phoebe argued, "What if somehow, after all these years, bringing them back together, just, unbound their magic."

"It's not possible." Piper repeated as she concentrated on her crystal, "We did that spell ourselves." After a moment she looked up at Leo, "I mean, it's not possible, right Leo?"

Leo fidgeted under her gaze, hands shoved into his pockets as her shrugged, "I don't know." He replied, "You tell me, after all these years, do you really think anything is impossible?"

Piper looked at her youngest sister, "I can't believe I'm saying this but Paige, can you go check with the elders?"

Paige nodded, as she pecked Henry on the cheek, "Keep the kids out of trouble." She told him before disappearing in a flurry of orbs.

"Sure thing toots." Henry replied into thin air.

"I should go down below and see what I can find out." Cole spoke up.

Phoebe's frown deepened as she pulled him down into a kiss, "Be careful." She told him as she cupped his face.

Cole gave her a lopsided grin, "Aren't I always?"

Phoebe whacked him, "I'm serious Cole." She told him.

"I know. I know." He replied as he ducked out of the way of another incoming swat before swooping down to give her another kiss, "I love you."

"I love you." Phoebe replied before he shimmered out.

Phoebe kept her eyes closed a moment before she let a sigh escape, "I guess I should check the book, huh?"

Piper pursed her lips and nodded as she brushed her hair away from her face without looking up.

"I'll go check on the kids." Henry offered as Piper looked up and gave him an appreciative smile.

"Thanks."

"It's been awhile but I remember the routine." He replied with a smirk before disappearing down the stairs.

"I'll go with him." Leo offered, "Maybe I can talk to Jayda and Brooke and convince them to tell me what really happened." Piper nodded.

Phoebe flipped through a few pages of the book, before looking up at Piper. Even though it had been more than fifteen years since she had regularly practiced it was a ritual they all knew well. And it was one they would become more familiar with again than anyone of the sister would care to admit.

* * *

><p>"Where are we?" Jackson asked as he stumbled over a rock in the darkness.<p>

"Best guess?" Maya offered, Jackson nodded, "We're in the Underworld."

"You have got to be kidding me." Jackson ran a hand through his hair, "How?"

"I guess you were the missing link after all." Maya shrugged.

"_What _missing link!" Jackson demanded, "And what were you thinking bringing me here?"

"I did not _bring _you here." Maya snapped, "At least, not intentionally."

"Then how the hell did we get here?" Jackson hissed.

"Our magic must have somehow combined and brought us here." Maya replied.

"_Our _magic? Okay. Back up. I _am not _magical." Jackson told her.

"Obviously you are." Maya replied as she began walking into the darkness.

Jackson groaned, "Where are you going?" he hissed, lowering his voice. From the little he had heard about the Underworld, he knew it was not a good place to be, "You have to be careful down here."

"Oh would you relax."

"Relax?" Jackson stressed, "Are you _freaking kidding me?" _

Maya spun on her heal, "What? Wittle Jackson wants to go home?"

Jackson nodded, "Actually yes. We shouldn't be here."

Maya had turned around and once again started walking in the opposite direction, "See, that's where you're wrong." Maya replied, "I think this is exactly where we're supposed to be."


	11. A whole new world

Dmd: I share you're love of Prue. As always not promises but you never know who will make an appearance in my stories ;) as I'm sure you know. Besides, I'm a sucker for what the readers want. So stay tuned.

Please review.

* * *

><p>K-11<p>

"What are you talking about?"

"Everything happens for a reason." Maya echoed out of the darkness in front of him.

Jackson snorted, "Mm-hmm. You're destiny still awaits, she says. There's a reason for everything, she says." He mocked his grandmother.

"Who knew it would be this eh?" Maya replied.

"Well, when we get out of here, I am going to ask her exactly _what_ that reason is." Jackson snapped.

"Cheer up, it's not so bad." Maya told him.

"Not so bad!" Jackson echoed, "We are stuck in the Underworld with no protection and no way home are you seriously not even _a little _concerned about this?"

"Okay" Maya turned around to face him, "First of all, I'm not any happier about this than you are."

"It doesn't seem like it." Jackson grumbled under his breath.

"And second of all" she raised her voice above his, "That's not exactly true."

"What's not exactly true?"

"Well we obviously have some powers, so that means a) we have some protection and b) we can get home."

"But we don't know how." Jackson shot back.

"Are you always such a pessimist?" Maya asked.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" he echoed.

"I'm _trying _to find my father."

"And you think he's in the Underworld?"

"I don't know."

"Well what do you know?"

"There's a door."

"What?"

"A door." Maya repeated her voice laced with irritation.

"It's a dead end." Jackson sighed as he ran his hands through his hair and looked back over his shoulder into the darkness they had emerged from only moments earlier.

Maya took a deep breath as she rubbed her hands together, she noticed the sparks that flicked from them but she said nothing. Instead, she extended on hand forward and pushed open the door, "It's unlocked." She breathed.

* * *

><p>Jayda sat on a bar stool, head drooped as she swirled her glass of whiskey.<p>

A slight of hand signaled for the bartender to pour her another shot of tequila.

"You sure you wanna do that?" he asked in a Southern drawl, one hand gripping the bottle of Jose Cuervo, the other fiddling with the shot glass.

Jayda looked up, her eyes narrowing in contempt, "Just pour the shot."

The bartender shrugged, "It's a deadly combination is all." He pushed the shot towards her.

Jayda picked up the shot glass and threw her head back, she winced slightly as the alcohol burned her throat going down before she slammed the glass back onto the bar.

The bartender dried a glass on a towel, "Aren't you a little young to be drinkin'?"

Jayda's slim fingers with black painted polish curled around her glass of whiskey, "Don't you have other things to worry about in this part of town?" The bartender eyed her a moment as she looked up at him with her grey eyes, "I mean, you've got to be hurting, right?"

He said nothing.

"That's what I thought." Jayda replied, "So if I were you I wouldn't be so picky. Now pour me another."

* * *

><p>"Maya" Jackson hissed as he trailed after her through the door, "I don't think this is a good idea."<p>

"Oh would you relax." Maya brushed him off as they made their way down a dimly lit corridor when she stopped suddenly.

"What?" Jackson asked as he stepped around his cousin and walked ahead slightly only to realize that the narrow passageway they had been following for what felt like hours had finally opened up into a large room.

Several eyes looked up, and then several more, and then several more, until all the people in the circular opening were starring at them.

Jackson suddenly stepped protectively in front of Maya who rolled her eyes behind his back at her cousins sudden change of attitude.

One woman stood, "Who are you?" she demanded, she was dressed in black leather with a dagger clearly sticking out of her belt. She had long light brown hair and dark eyes.

Jackson raised his hands defensively as the woman moved towards him and the others followed, "We don't want any trouble. We're just trying to find our way home."

"And you expect us to believe that you just _stumbled _across this place?" she asked.

"We did." Maya stepped around him.

"Impossible." The womans voice hardened as she continued to approach them, something seemed familiar, than again, it didn't matter, if they weren't with them, they were against them.

"It's them." One of the men whispered. "He said they would come."

"Who?" Maya asked taking a step forward but the woman immediately formed an energy ball.

"Don't move." She threatened, holding the deadly weapon in the palm of her hand.

"Okay, okay." Jackson grabbed his cousins shoulders, "We'll just go."

"No." Maya wiggled free from his grip. "I'm looking for my father!" she shouted towards the crowd.

"And _who _is your father?" the woman's voice was laced with venom as she prepared to attack the intruders.

"Benjamin." Maya breathed, "Benjamin Turner."

The woman immediately closed her fist and the energy ball disintegrated. Her heart fluttered at what she had almost done as she looked at the boy, "And you?"

"My father was Wyatt Halliwell." Jackson pointed his chin out defiantly.

The woman looked between them before nodding.

* * *

><p>Leo strode into the attic, "Jayda's gone."<p>

Piper looked up, appearing momentarily alarmed before refocusing her energy on the task at hand, "Of course she is." She replied flatly.

Paige closed her eyes, and after a moment opened them again, "I can sense her. Her heart beat is a little erratic but she's fine."

"Anything out of Brooke?" Phoebe queried.

Leo shook his head, "But whatever happened it seems to have gotten her pretty frazzled." He looked between the sisters, "Paige if you can get me a pin point on Jayda I'll go and pick her up."

* * *

><p>Brooke was pacing, alone in the backyard, the sky above her was dark, and yet she knew she wouldn't be rained on.<p>

She wrung her hands together feeling helpless.

Maya was like her big sister and the fact that she could do nothing to help her, to help them, was tearing her apart.

Not to mention, she resented Jayda, for not being able to possibly care less than she did right now. The logical part of Brooke's high functioning i.q. told her that Jayda was putting up a front, that she was scared and didn't know what else to do. But her heart hated her for leaving her alone.

How the hell was she supposed to deal with this on her own? She closed her eyes a moment, and then, she was gone.

* * *

><p>"Jackson, I-I-I knew your father, he was a good man, a good, good man." The man was following them.<p>

Jackson nodded, "Thank you."

"He was _so_ powerful." A seemingly desperate woman clung to Maya's arm, Jackson took notice and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards him.

"What are we going to do?" One man shouted.

"How are you going to save us?" Another asked.

"_Enough!"_ the woman who had originally interrogated them snapped as she wheeled on the crowd before guiding the young people into a more secluded space.

The woman shut the door behind them, she stayed there a moment head bowed, hand shaking before she took a deep breath and turned around, "I apologize." She said as she came around in front of them and indicated for them to sit, "Please." She took a seat behind a large desk.

"They're just…" she adjusted some paper work absentmindedly before looking up at them, "Well, I guess we've all been feeling a little lost lately."

Jackson nodded.

"I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your aunt." The woman continued. "She was a wonderfully brave woman."

"You knew my aunt?" Jackson asked.

"I knew your whole family." The woman answered.

"How?" Maya questioned.

"I….Well, that's not important." She replied, "What's important is you're here. Which means your grandmother unbound your powers."

"What are you talking about?" Jackson's eyes narrowed at her.

"Piper, Phoebe" The woman looked between them, while Jackson looked skeptical, Maya looked somewhat excited, typical she thought as she sighed, despite their original reactions, both looked confused, "You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"

Both young people shook their heads in the negative. "Well you got here somehow." She supplied folding her hands over the desk, "Why don't you walk me through it."

Maya shrugged, "Not much to tell. One minute we were in the basement, the next we were down here."

"Did you say a spell?" the woman questioned.

"Where the _hell _would we find a spell?" Jackson asked somewhat angrily. "We aren't witches."

"Right…" the woman agreed reluctantly.

"Where are we?" Jackson finally asked.

The woman looked at him, "You're at the headquarters of the Resistance."


	12. The barrel of a loaded gun

Thank you guys for the reviews I really appreciate them - also I think I've found a way to incorporate Prue - please keep it up.

* * *

><p>K-12<p>

Maya had only ever heard rumors of the Resistance, whispers in the night from folks that couldn't be trusted.

Many, including herself, believed that it was a hoax, created by magical beings in an attempt to free themselves from the scrutiny of the mortals.

Regardless, if there ever was a Resistance, it had long since died, following the supposed death of their leader, whoever that had been.

"And who are you? What's your name?" Jackson's voice brought Maya out of her thoughts.

The woman hesitated a moment before speaking, "My name is Bianca."

"Well, _Bianca_, if you know our family so well than how come I've never heard of you?" Jackson questioned.

"I-" Bianca was unable to find her voice. Her relations with Christopher Halliwell, although known to the family were always kept low profile. She had never quite been the type of girl guys wanted to bring home to meet their families; especially a family as important and tightly knit as the Halliwells. "I'm not important." She took a deep breath, "What's important right now is getting you home."

If the Halliwells were unaware of their powers except for accidentally stumbling across them than they would be little help to the cause or the prophecy. Not to mention the thought of having to deal with the Halliwell Matriarchs made her stomach turn.

"What? No!" Maya immediately slammed her hands down on the desk causing sparks to fly.

Bianca locked eyes with Maya, "What you're searching for, you need to let it go."

Tears threatened to well in Maya's eyes, "You don't know that."

"I do."

"No you don't!" Maya screamed, her outburst causing the desk to catch fire, "He's out there! He's alive! I know it! I can feel it!"

Bianca immediately ran towards the wall and grabbed a fire extinguisher as Jackson pulled a nearly hysterical Maya back from the flames.

Bianca extinguished the flames, as her chest heaved, she blew a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and looked at Maya and Jackson with concern.

* * *

><p>"Grams! <em>Grams! GRAMS!<em>"

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all came down from the attic at the same time, to find a distraught looking Bryn.

"What is it honey?" Phoebe stepped forward.

"Brooke is outside and she won't wake up!" Bryn breathed the panic clearly evident on her voice.

Phoebe immediately began striding towards the stairs.

"Come on." Piper tugged on Paige's arm, "She'll call if she needs us." Paige nodded and the two women disappeared once again up the attic stairs.

* * *

><p>Brookes chocolate brown eyes flickers open, widening as she took in her surroundings. "What the hell?" she breathed.<p>

The stall smelled of stale urine and the walls of the tiny, increasingly claustrophobic confine, were lined with vulgar graffiti.

With shaking hands, and as quietly as she could, the young woman exited the stall.

* * *

><p>Phoebe leant over her granddaughter, "Brooke, honey? Can you hear me?" she tapped her cheek lightly.<p>

"You know what this looks like don't you?" Cole asked.

Phoebe frowned but nodded as she looked from Cole back down to her granddaughter, "When did you get back?" she asked her husban.

"What does it look like?" Bryn demanded.

"Just now." Cole replied.

"Anything?" Phoebe asked.

Cole shook his head in the negative.

"What are you _talking _about?" Bryn half whined, half growled as she stomped her foot in a childish manner.

Phoebe sighed and looked down, "Lets just get her inside." Phoebe told Cole, dodging her youngest granddaughters question.

Cole nodded and bent down, scooping Brooke up into his arms carrying her carefully into the manor with Bryn hot on his heels. "Grandpa? Grandpa! What's going on?" she questioned, "Is she going to be okay?"

Phoebe sighed as she pushed herself from her knees into a standing position as she looked at Addison, Max, Quinn, and Zoey standing nearby and forced a smile.

"She is going to be okay, right?" Zoey asked and Phoebe nodded.

"I think so. I've seen something like this before, a long time ago…" her mind trailed to her eldest sister in a time that seemed almost unimaginable now.

* * *

><p>Brooke splashed some water over her face as she gripped the counter tightly in an attempt to steady herself as a million thoughts raced through her mind.<p>

Where was she?

And how did she get here?

She swallowed the lump in her throat, "You're fine." She told the reflection in the mirror and for a moment her mother seemed to be staring back at her.

Like always, she could only stand the resemblance for a moment before she pulled her hair back from her face into a ponytail. "You can do this." She repeated quietly. "Whatever it is." Her chin jutted out at her reflection defiantly, "You can do this."

* * *

><p>Henry threw open the door, "Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in."<p>

A young woman stood at the door in jeans and a jacket as she hauled both the teens she held by the collar of their shirts forward. "I need to talk to Piper."

Henry rolled his eyes, "Listen lady, I appreciate you bringing them home but we're kind of busy."

Jackson watched the interaction carefully, his great uncle obviously didn't know Bianca, if that was even in fact her name.

Bianca threw the kids forward, Maya grimaced noticeably, as the woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a police badge.

"S.F.P.D." Bianca told him, shoving her badge back into her back pocket, "Now we can do this the easy way of the hard way. What do you say?" Henry eyed her reluctantly and she sighed, "I just want to talk."

Henry rolled his eyes and opened the door more fully, "Cops are always welcome in the Halliwell household." Henry deadpanned as he lead the woman towards the stairs, "It makes us feel all warm and cozy inside, just the way we like it."

Maya snorted at her great uncles sarcasm.

He turned towards the stairs, "Piper!" he called, "You have a visitor!"

* * *

><p>Brooke froze, unable to believe her eyes, "<em>You<em>." She hissed to no one in particular as she spotted her cousin sprawled across a bench in the back of the bar, feet kicked up on the table, hand clutching what Brooke could only assume was a bottle of whiskey.

"You know 'er?" the man behind the bar asked.

Brooke chuckled bitterly as she shook her head, "Not for long." She bit out as she crossed the bar in a few long strides.

In one fluid motion Brooke grabbed Jayda's arm and jerked her fluidly in place, "Get up." He voice was low and dangerous.

Jayda looked up, "Maya?"

"It's Brooke." The younger girl snapped, "Jesus, how much have you had to drink?"

"Did they find them?" Jayda asked.

"Not yet." Brooke answered as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Then I'm not leaving." She drawled as she took another sip of her drink.

"I'm not asking." Brooke replied, her tone cold, "Everyone has enough to worry about without-"

"How did you find me?" Jayda cut her off, narrowing her eyes.

"What are you talking about." Brooke replied, unsure of the answer herself, but not willing to blurt out that she had apparently just _appeared _in the bathroom stall, ironically at the same bar her cousin was at. "I saw your car parked outside."

Jayda seemed to not push the issue at hand as she took another swig of her drink, even though she knew it was virtually impossible that her cousin had happened upon her whereabouts and despite her inner turmoil, bringing up this fact in public was neither wise nor fair.

Unfortunately, the bar tender had other ideas as the buckle of a loaded shot gun sounded from behind them.

Brooke turned around to find the bartender pointing the barrel of shot gun directly at her head.

The young woman couldn't help but glance around the bar, only to find that she was in fact, the one the gun was being aimed at.

"She's right young lady. You didn't come in the front door."

"I-I-I did." Brooke stammered.

"Liar!" He yelled, "How'd you get in here!"

"I just – you musn't have seen me is all." Brooke justified as she tried to stay calm.

"_Witch_." The man hissed at her.

Brooke turned pale as a ghost as the man advanced towards her. "I'd get a fine reward for you." He muttered as he looked her over, "Pretty little thing you are."

Brooke inhaled deeply as her line of sight was suddenly cut off by her cousins back, "Don't _ever _speak to my family like that." Jayda's voice was colder than Brooke had ever heard it as her older cousin stood protectively in front of her, swaying ever so slightly, facing the mans seemingly without fear.

The door of the bar opened, "What the hell is going on?"

The bartender's eyes glanced at Leo for a quick second, "You know these girls?" he asked.

Leo swallowed the lump in his throat before nodding, _what had they done? _

"If you're with _them_, you're against us." The man growled as he aimed his gun towards Leo and readied to pull the trigger.

Jayda lounged forward to push the gun's fire away from her grandfather, but as he arms pushed forward the mans gun exploded, throwing him back and forcing his fire into the ground.

Jayda looked down at her hands in disbelief, wondering if she had caused the explosion or if her mind was playing tricks on her.

Leo too was in shock but he recovered more quickly as he ushered the girls towards him.

"Common." Brooke pulled desperately at Jayda, "Run!" but before she could pull her cousin any further, she disappeared in a flash.


	13. Caught in between

Soraya: Well thank you!

Dmd: Prue should be coming up in the next few chapters or so.

* * *

><p>K-13<p>

Brooke gasped for breath as she immediately sat up and looked around the living room.

"Easy." Phoebe helped her sit up gently as the teen looked around frantically in an attempt to process everything that had just happened.

Phoebe strummed her fingers through Brooke's hair reassuringly, "It's okay hon, take your time."

Finally she looked into her grandmothers eyes. "Jayda." Brooke breathed.

* * *

><p>"It's okay honey." Leo placed a comforting hand on Jayda's knee and she flinched away.<p>

"How can you _say _that?" Jayda's eyes filled with tears.

"You were very brave." Leo continued in a soothing tone.

"I'm not brave." Jayda muttered under her breath as she gazed out the window as the vehicle turned onto Prescott Street. She finally looked at him, "What's happening to me?"

"Lets just get home and your grandmother and I will explain everything. I promise." Leo assured her and Jayda nodded.

Leo came around the passenger side of the car and attempted to guide Jayda into the house but she shrugged him off.

Brooke and Phoebe both looked up from the living room.

* * *

><p>"Thank God." Phoebe breathed as Brooke was pushing herself unsteadily from the couch and threw her arms around her cousin.<p>

Brooke bit her lip hard to fight back her tears, "No one has ever…" she began but couldn't finish the sentence, "Thank you." She whispered.

"Don't mention it." Jayda replied as she attempted to squirm free from her cousins hold.

"Why don't you go get freshened up, maybe rest a bit before we all sit down and talk." Leo suggested.

Jayda nodded suddenly feeling very tired. Her knees wobbled as though they were about to collapse and she didn't protest when Brooke wrapped an arm around her waist and began guiding her towards the stairs.

Leo and Phoebe watched them go before Leo looked at his sister in law, "Where's Piper?"

Phoebe looked skyward.

* * *

><p>The attic burst open, "We have a problem."<p>

"We have more than one problem." Piper answered without taking her eyes off the woman in front of her.

Paige, Henry, and Cole stood to either side of her, their arms crossed over their chest.

"Leo, Phoebe, you remember Bianca." Piper indicated the woman in front of them.

Leo and Phoebe's eyes followed the direction of Pipers nod as they took in the woman sitting casually in the arm chair on one end of the attic.

"What-"

"She brought back Jackson and Maya." Cole answered tilting his head to the opposite side of the room where Jackson and Maya sat uncomfortably on Aunt Pearls very old pink couch.

Phoebe looked back at him, "You didn't-"

"I couldn't."

"Why?" Phoebe looked alarmed.

"Because they were in inside the Resistance." Bianca answered simply and all the older adults in the room with the exception of Cole flinched.

"And what the hell were they doing there!" Piper demanded.

Bianca rolled her eyes, "I already told you. I _don't know_." She sighed, "They just showed up and-"

"Wait a second, they just showed up?" Paige questioned, "How? Their powers are bound?"

"What do you mean by bound?" Jackson spoke up.

"It's time that you tell them." Bianca continued, "They have a destiny after all. Chris-"

Piper rounded on the woman, "Don't talk to me about my son." She hissed threateningly.

Bianca stood, "Look, I just brought the kids back." She held up her hands defensively, "The balls in your court now." And with that she shimmered out leaving the sisters and their husbands to exchange nervous looks.

"Okay, is someone going to tell us what the hell is going on?" Maya asked.

Phoebe gave her oldest granddaughter a sympathetic looks, "Yes of course honey, but could you just give us a minute?"

Maya huffed in displeasure but none the less pushed herself up from the sofa and strode from the room, her ravin waves bouncing behind her as she went.

"Grams I-"

"I will explain everything Jackson" Piper told him as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "But not right now."

Jackson scowled, an unusual look his handsome face that made him look almost dark, but nonetheless he left the room without another word.

"Piper-" Leo began.

"What is it Leo?" Piper sighed.

"Jayda and Brooke have been exposed." Leo told them as all eyes turned to him.

* * *

><p>Piper paced the kitchen, running her hands through her hair as Phoebe leaned helplessly over the counter and Paige picked at her cuticles.<p>

"They're just kids." Piper said for what felt like the hundredth time.

"We don't have a choice Piper." Paige countered, "If they're powers are unbound they are in more danger if they don't know about them."

"Paige is right, they need to learn how to control them so that they aren't exposed." Phoebe supported her younger sister.

"Couldn't you just try to rebind their powers." Henry offered.

Paige shook head, "We don't know _how _or _why _their powers were unbound but there is a reason for it."

"Unbinding their powers again probably won't work." Leo confirmed as he looked at his wife.

Phoebe sighed and nodded, "And even if it did, we would have to erase their memories, and is it really fair to hide a part of who they are from them?"

"It is if it keeps them safe" Piper countered.

"Honey." Leo placed his hands on Piper's shoulders, "It's going to be okay."

Piper swallowed the lump in her throat, "Is it? Jayda and Brooke have been exposed-"

Phoebe approached her sister, "Coles taking care of that." she rubbed Pipers shoulders comfortingly, as if on cue, Cole shimmered into the kitchen.

"A little discretion would be nice." Piper sighed as she glanced quickly around the area to make sure her brother in-law wasn't seen.

"What's the bar owner?" Henry asked.

"Don't worry." A sly smile played on Coles lips, as though he were almost enjoying being back in the midst of the whole 'good' vs 'evil' thing, "I found him, destroyed the security tapes, and moved him to a place he can't tell a soul what he saw. Literally."

"What do you mean? Where did you put him? Leo questioned suspiciously.

Cole glanced at the floor and gestured below him.

"In the basement?" Phoebe asked gingerly.

Piper stifled a groan, "No. I think he means a little bit further down than that."

"Cole, he's an innocent. He was just doing what he had to to protect himself. He doesn't know any better, and even if he did, letting the girls go without reporting magic would be his death sentence." Leo chastised.

"He's the one that can expose them as witches." Cole replied without remorse, "I would think that you, above anyone, would want to avoid that at all costs."

"Not at all costs." Leo replied through gritted teeth, "We have to save him."

"Maybe we can talk to him and reason with him." Paige offered.

"And what if we can't?" Cole raised an eyebrow.

"Well it's a risk we'll have to take." Phoebe looked into Cole's eyes, "We protect the innocent, not punish the guilty, you know that."

Cole sighed and refrained from rolling his eyes, "Yeah, well, you know what? There's another risk we're going to have to worry about. On the way back I heard gargoyles. I think the source has surfaced.

Phoebe's eyes widened, "Wait! What? He's here? Now? Where?"

"I don't know." Cole answered seriously, "Could be anywhere - or anyone."

"He's probably come for the kids" Leo offered sombrely, "but they don't stand a chance against him. They don't even know they have powers yet let alone how to protect themselves."

Phoebe looked between Piper and Paige, "What do we do?"

Piper took a deep breath, "We stick to the original plan. We tell them."

* * *

><p>Brooke hadn't left Jayda's room, and the older girl hadn't offered any indication that she wanted her to.<p>

Something changed in the moment that the older of the two cousins stepped in front of the barrel of the gun for the younger.

"Why did you do it?" Brooke asked quietly, "I mean, you don't even like me, you don't even _know_ me."

The statement was true, Jayda knew, but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. The truth was, she didn't know what had come over her in that moment when a surge of protective instinct had kicked into place just then.

Jayda ran a brush through her raven locks, her back facing her cousin, she didn't know _why _but in that moment she would have rather died than let anything happen to Brooke and the thought scared and confused her.

Brooke stifled a sigh when it became clear Jayda was not going to answer, "I just don't get it." Brooke said quietly, knowing she was about to walk a very thin line with her next words, "You were a wreck and then all of a sudden you were willing to risk everything to protect me."

"I think that's a little extreme." Jayda grumbled.

"Not really!" Brooke continued when Jayda didn't shut her down, "You saved my life, putting yourself in danger to do so. Why would you do that if you didn't care?"

Jayda remained silent.

"It's because you do care." Brooke countered.

Jayda glared at her, "It's not that simple okay?"

"Then break it down for me Jayda because I'm really having trouble getting my head around your crazy mood swings." Brooke replied.

"I just –" Jayda sighed, "Magic freaks me out alright? I know how guns work and what they do and what _I needed to do_. You really think I would have just let him blow your head off right in front of me without doing anything or everything I could to stop it? It doesn't matter if I _know_ you or _like_ you. You _are _my family and in normal circumstances, I would do anything I can for anyone of you. But Magic is just – it's different okay – and now that -" she shook her head, "I don't know, we have powers? We're witches? I'm feeling a bit lost okay?" her eyes clouded with tears, "Are you happy now?"

Brooke nodded, "We're all scared. We've all been brought up in a world that hates magic and witchcraft, but maybe they're wrong, okay? Maybe this is a good thing."

"How can this possibly be a good thing when all it does is get the people we love killed?" Jayda countered.

Brooke furrowed her brow, "What are you talking about?"

"All our parents are dead Brooke, do you think that's a coincidence?" Jayda looked at the younger girl.

"I-" Brooke wasn't sure what to say as she put together how smart Jayda actually was and that she had realized this from the moment Maya had uttered the words 'I have powers'.

Jayda may have denied it but deep down she knew that Maya was right, that there was something _different _about them, about the deaths that seemed to surround their family and the constant involvement of the government in their lives.

"I used to." Brooke finally answered unsure.

Jayda cocked her head ever so slightly, "So did I." she muttered before locking eyes with her cousin, "But you know what they say, 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'"


	14. Come together right now over me

Soraya: ponder away, any suggestions are welcome but I haven't even gotten there yet. There aren't 3 sisters in this series though...

Dmd: I think you're really going to like how I put Prue in ;)

Please review!

* * *

><p>K-14<p>

"What are you saying?" Brooke asked, her lower lip trembling slightly despite her greatest efforts.

"I think you know what I'm saying." Jayda replied as she examined her nails, seemingly uncharacteristically calm.

"But I need you to say it." Brooke bit out as tears welled in her eyes.

Jayda took a deep breath before looking up at her cousin, "It seems to me that our only destiny is to die."

* * *

><p>"<em>Police are urging residents of San Francisco to, if at all possible, remain inside their homes until further notice. It appears there has been a recent surge in demonic activity across the area resulting in chaos and destruction. <em>

_Nancy Phillips is reporting on scene, Nancy."_

"_Thanks Bill. I'm here just outside where the Golden Gate Railway Station formerly stood. Around 4:50 this afternoon, magic detectors began going off the charts. What resulted, was catastrophic._

_Explosions and fire erupted from the famous San Francisco landmark that was completely destroyed in what bystanders report as a mass slaughter. By the time police arrived, it was too late. Surrounding areas were also attacked. The death toll is currently 350 and rising while casualties continue to mount far beyond 500. Hospitals are overwhelmed but continue to accommodate the surplus of intakes."_

"_Thank you Nancy. Local Bar owner Ray Montgomery has been confirmed missing by police after placing a call to to report magical activity on behalf of two patrons. The suspects are two young women between the ages of 16-25. Police have no further information at this time, however they are the prime suspects in the G.G.R.S. attack. Anyone with information is urged to come forward, withholding information will result in-"_

The television went dead as the kids looked up as Piper rounded the couch holding the remote control, "What have I told you about watching that junk?" Piper muttered more or less under her breath as she came to stand in front of the kids.

As the family matriarch Piper was the one who had to address her grandchildren, grandnieces and nephew, to bear the news of their true identities.

She took a deep breath and stood, all eyes fell onto the eldest Halliwell sister as Phoebe and Paige joined her on either side.

The kids gathered round, some confused, others expectant, and still others afraid. Leo, Cole, and Henry were interspersed among them, as they too looked at their wives, the ever strong, loving, enduring, and powerful Charmed Ones.

"There's something that needs to be addressed." Piper's voice was steady despite the fear in her heart. "And I know that you might be frightened, but it is important that you hear us out and listen to everything we have to say."

Piper took a deep breath, "Melinda Warren was burned at the stake in the late 1600's but before she died, she made a prophecy. She vowed that each generation of Warren witches would grow stronger, cumulating in the arrival of three sisters, and these sisters would be the most powerful witches the world has ever know. They would be called the Charmed Ones."

There were some murmurs from the children who had heard the legend briefly before.

"Why are you telling us this?" Addison spoke up.

Piper looked at her sisters, "Paige, Phoebe, and I are those sisters." Now the children went quiet, some paled noticeably.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Someone muttered.

"Your parents were also very powerful witches in their own right." Piper continued with only a slight hitch in her throat, "Every single one of them died fighting for the greater good; fighting to save the world."

Phoebe took Piper's hand and continued for her sister, "After magic was exposed, it became dangerous to practice, and so, your parents decided it was best to bind your powers, to protect you, and we did as they wished."

"We aren't sure why or how it happened" Paige took over, "But your powers have become unbound."

There were murmurs of alarm, discontent, disbelief, and fear.

"This puts you in danger." Paige rose her voice over the voices and the children settled down slightly, Paiges voice returned to normal, "You need to know how to protect yourselves."

"You have got to be kidding me." Someone else murmured.

"We aren't." Piper spoke up once again. "Starting Monday you will all begin classes at Magic School."

"What the hell is Magic School?" Cadence asked.

"It's a school for magical kids and teenagers like yourselves." Leo explained gently as he reached out to her but she flinched away.

"So we're freaks." Bryn commented, her tone even, unwilling to give away her feeling over the matter.

"You're special." Phoebe corrected her.

"This puts us in danger." Addison sought to confirm.

"What if we don't want these powers?" Max asked.

"What if we do?" Quinn countered.

"We're not even sure all of you have active powers." Henry told them gently, "Especially you three." He looked over his grandchildren.

"Why wouldn't we?" Quinn asked.

"Because your grandpa is mortal." Paige explained placing a hand on her husbands shoulder, "Which means your parents were only half witchlighters."

"What is a whichlighter?" Zoey asked her great aunt.

"It is a hybrid, a half witch, half whitelighter." Paige explained.

"Whitelighters are like guardian angels for witches, they guide them and keep them safe." Henry continued.

"Wait, you knew about this?" Max questioned his grandfather, "And you're okay with it?"

Henry and Paige exchanged a look, "I was confused at first, just like you are-"

"I'm not confused." Max snapped, "I am pissed off. How could you not have told us!"

"Yeah." Jackson chimed in, speaking for the first time since his return, arms folded over his chest, feet kicked up on the table. "How could you _not _have told us?"

"Look, I know it's hard to take in but" Henry spoke, being the only mortal of the group seemed to earn him some authority in this situation, "your grandmothers, your parents, they did a lot of good for a lot of people. They have literally saved the world on more than one occasion."

"Than why don't you save it now?" Cadence asked, "You're always saying how horrible it is, the war and the trials, and you just stand by and do nothing." She eyed her grandmother. "People are _dying _every day and you just do nothing."

"It's not that simple Caddie." Piper told her, "There are rules we have to abide by. There are consequences to every action. There is free will to consider. Not to mention the other side."

"The other side." Addison repeated.

"Evil." Cole interjected, "Demons. Warlocks. Darklighters. The Source."

"How do you know this?" Bryn asked him.

"Because I used to be the Source of All Evil." Cole admitted seemingly without regret, some of the children looked alarmed. "Before and after that I was a demon."

"But he's on our side." Phoebe added quickly, "Some demons have joined the Resistance."

"Which is what exactly?" Quinn asked.

"The Resistance protects witches, magical creatures, and mortals, from danger whether it be evil magic, exposure, or mortal witch hunters." Paige explained.

"Why?" Quinn asked.

"We fight evil honey." Phoebe told her, "We protect the innocent whether they are mortal or magical. That's our job as witches."

"Well you're not doing a very good job of it." Cadence grumbled.

"We are doing the best we can with what we have." Piper told her sharply. "We can't expose ourselves because then the mortals would turn against us and we wouldn't be able to keep helping people but we also can't let evil take over our world and everyone in it. So we're walking a very thin line."

"That is why it's very important that you keep your identities a secret." Leo explained. "Exposure is very dangerous."

"Some witches have turned against the mortals and likewise, demons have switched sides." Cole continued to explain, "So you can't trust anyone."

"Why would demons turn to the other side if evil is winning?" Addison asked, "I mean, they are winning aren't they?"

Piper sighed, "It sure seems that way."

"It's because whoever the new leader of the Underworld is, has too much power, and too much power isn't good for anyone. It upsets the cosmic balance and many demons and witches alike will suffer." Cole tried to explain, "Not to mention every demon wants to be the next leader of the Underworld" he rolled his eyes, "so some demons will take any chance they have at bringing down a rival, even if that means joining the 'good' side temporarily."

"I don't believe this." Cadence huffed, "I don't believe you're a witch. Prove it."

"Cadence." Jackson warned, well aware that his grandparents and aunts weren't bluffing.

"What? Don't you want to see it?" She asked looking from Jackson to Maya who was seated on the arm of his chair, "You already know." She turned back to her grandmother, "_They already know!" _she shrieked.

"It's not her fault." Brooke spoke up. "It happened by accident."

"You knew?" Bryn's eyes widened before she scoffed, "Unbelievable."

"It's not like it's been this long standing secret." Jayda snapped, "It just happened like, yesterday, so relax."

Brooke, instead of reprimanding Jayda nodded, "She's right Bryn. We weren't trying to hide it from you we were trying to protect you." She glanced around the room at the unfamiliar faces, "All of you."

"Enough." Piper cut in, "If you want proof, we'll give you proof." She nodded at Leo as he and Henry moved to pull the curtains shut with a quick glance up and down the street for anything suspicious.

After everything was secure, Piper expertly flicked her fingers and the fruit basket on the table exploded before she opened her other hand more slowly freezing the pieces of mutilated fruit in place.

Several of the kids jumped back, Jayda, however, leaned forward, "That's what happened to me. I mean- I think it is- I don't-"

"I know Jay, we'll figure it all okay." Piper reassured her.

"Fruit!" Paige called out as the pieces of fruit and shards of glass were surrounded in a sparkling blue glow, "Garbage." She pushed her hand in the direction of the kitchen and the fruit disappeared. Of course, Paige no longer had to say the words out loud, but she figured she should for teaching purposes.

Paige then dissolved and reappeared a moment later in a flurry of blue and white orbs. She then glamoured into a much younger version of her eldest sister.

"Nice." Piper grunted.

"Aunt Phoebe what can you do?" Zoey asked.

Phoebe levitated slightly off the ground, "I can't show you exactly what I can do, but I'm an empath so basically I can feel and channel others. I also have premonitions of the past and future, visions."

"Cool." Zoey whispered and Cadence gave her an evil glare.

"So how do we know what our powers are?" Addison asked and Max beside her groaned aloud.

"We know some of your powers." Piper answered, "But some of you were so young when your powers were bound that your powers hadn't started to develop yet."

"So what do you know?"

Piper took a deep breath, "We know Jackson has the power of telekinesis and Jayda has the power of molecular combustion, or blowing things up. Caddie, you have the other ability I displayed, the ability to freeze time, molecular immobilization and Zoe, I'm sorry but I don't know what kind of powers you have."

"Girls." Phoebe addressed her granddaughters, "Your powers have always been bound, from birth."

"But we believe, just based on the past couple days that Brooke has the power of astral projection." Cole explained. "I'm not sure about you two." He looked between Bryn and Maya.

"I'm not sure about your powers either." Paige explained to her grandchildren, "We bound them when you were young but none of you ever exhibited signs of showing powers."

"So how are we supposed to know what to do?" Brooke asked.

"You don't have to do anything." Cole told her.

"That's not true." Jackson cut in. "Bianca told us there was a prophecy."

"Who's Bianca?" Jayda questioned.

"When we need assistance we have a special book of witchcraft called the Book of Shadows that we can consult for information, spells, and potions that has been passed down since the time of Melinda Warren." Paige tried to change the subject.

"What do we have to do?" Bryn asked.

Maya shrugged, "Apparently we have to save the world."


	15. The threads of an old life

Dmd: I got tired of having them up one day and deleted them all. I'm sorry they may come back eventually. I hope you continue to let me know what you think.

Also I have quoted lord of the rings...no copy write infringement intended.

Please review.

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><p>K-15<p>

Bryn wasn't quite sure where she stood on the whole good verses evil debacle.

Her parents and grandparents had always encouraged her to keep a low profile on their secret approval of magic.

Now she understood why - Because ultimately, they were the commanding forces behind the supposed 'good' side of magic.

But between the television commercials, the tutorials at school, the recruitment campaigns, the public executions, and the hundreds of innocent people who were being killed as a result of the magic vs. mortal WWIII, Bryn was struggling with defining who exactly the 'good guys' were.

It seemed her cousins had divided themselves into two groups;

One group for their new lives as witches and the progeny of the great Charmed Ones and the other against it...

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><p>Jackson ran his fingers along the hilt of the sword.<p>

His fathers sword.

His fathers legacy.

His father.

His fingers wound around the grip of Excalibur.

The sword he had only heard about in storybooks.

The sword that selected King Arthur.

There were ancient inscriptions on the sword that Jackson couldn't make out.

His eyes traced the small amount of blade that was visible until it was lodged deeply into a massive stone.

His Grandmother said that after the death of his father, she had returned the sword to the stone to keep it safe.

Safe until he was ready.

And with one swift tug, Jackson pulled the sword free.

Disbelief flashed across his face and his eyes began to water.

It couldn't be true.

It couldn't be.

Could it?

* * *

><p>It wasn't that he didn't believe that was the problem.<p>

It was that he did believe and he had never known.

Max had been aware of magic his entire life.

In a time such as now, it was hard to avoid such knowledge.

But he had always thought he was normal…he had always thought that this was the kind of thing you would tell people.

It was dangerous to keep secrets like this it was dangerous and stupid and quite frankly, not something he wanted to deal with.

Maybe it was the kind of thing that happened to other people.

But not him.

He was on his way to a football scholarship, and a spot at Brown.

He had a girlfriend and a great group of friends.

He had his whole life ahead of him.

And now he was also a witch.

And everything was going to change.

With one cruel twist of fate.

Everything was going to change.

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><p>Maybe this was it.<p>

Maybe this is what she had been waiting for her entire life.

To prove to them, or maybe, to prove to herself that she could be more than she was.

Quinn fiddled with her necklace that suddenly had so much more significance, the one she had always worn secretly under everything.

The one that she had convinced herself would keep her safe.

She didn't quite know why.

She had found it in Grandma's attic a long time ago.

She never could bring herself to admit to taking it.

She admired the triquetra quietly.

Yes, it had kept her safe until this point.

And it would continue to.

She didn't know how or why,

But she was sure of it,

More sure than she had ever been of anything before.

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><p>Jayda sat silently on the window ledge, her knees clutched tightly to her chest, her entire being shaking ever so slightly.<p>

Lost in thought.

How do you pick up the threads of an old life?

How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand there is no going back.

There are some things that time cannot mend.

Some hurts that go too deep…

That have taken hold.

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><p>Of course she was scared.<p>

She would be a fool not to be.

And Brooke was no fool.

Brooke traced her fingers over the edges of the ancient book.

There was no point in denying who they were.

They had the potential to change the world,

And that opportunity was extremely rare,

And she for one, wasn't about to waste it.

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><p>It wasn't fair.<p>

It wasn't-

Cadance ran her fingers through her hair in frustration before smashing an angry fist against the side of the house before stumping down against the old red siding in a fit of sobs.

This was _her _fault.

If she was _so _powerful than why didn't she protect her?

Why didn't she protect all of them?

Cadence glanced at the darkened sky,

"I didn't think it would end this way"

She murmured.

* * *

><p>She squinted in concentration.<p>

Then, with a droll roll of her fingers the flames flickered forth.

She didn't care that she sat outside.

That a nearby helicopter might catch sight of her treason.

A smirk played on Maya's lips.

She was powerful.

She was _the _most powerful.

And along with her cousins, they were unstoppable.

It was time they stopped hiding.

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><p>Would the world ever again be a peaceful place?<p>

Would it ever be safe for children to walk the streets without fears of demon attacks or abduction.

The world had disintegrated into chaos.

And as much as Addison hoped and prayed that things would change,

They weren't getting better, they were getting worse.

She sighed, maybe in some twisted way this was the change she was hoping for.

The fact that she now had an answer to the cause behind her parents deaths gave her some closure.

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><p>Of course she was sad, and angry that a secret like this had been kept from them.<p>

But Zoey trusted her grandparents when they said that they were fighting for the greater good.

She was proud that her parents felt so strongly that they devoted their life to the cause.

And so, if it had been good enough for them,

It would be good enough for her.

There was lots to learn,

And maybe it was more than she could handle,

But right there in that moment,

Zoey vowed that she would finish what her mother started.


	16. All for one

Okay guys lets try this again hm? Please let me know what you think. I'm sorry if this chapter seems rushed and makeshifted, that's because it was. I need some inspiration or this story will flatline...

Please review.

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><p>K-16<p>

The quiet click of heels were the only thing that echoed in the dimly lit room as a woman paced slowly in front of the 3rd generation, hands clasped behind her back, not making eye contact until suddenly her head snapped up.

Her raven hair whipped around as her blue eyes found theirs.

"There is no time for self doubt." Her voice was strong and seemingly cold as she began to walk again, this time faster as she gave each teen a once over. "It's time you stopped focusing on yourselves and started focusing on what's at stake. You must prepare yourselves for battle. Mentally, physically," she paused to look at Bryn skeptically, "sartorially."

"I'm sorry what?" Bryn's brow furrowed in confusion.

"She doesn't like our clothes." Brooke replied to her sister.

"You need outfits that are loose to move. That means no more braless, strapless, fearless attire." The woman continued as Jackson and Max stifled a groan.

"Okay, but then I have nothing to wear." Maya commented.

The woman fixed her with a hard glare, and Maya fidgeted.

"Tell me again why we're doing this?" Cadence groaned into Max's ear and he shrugged.

Addison looked around from Max, "Because the world is at stake." She told them her patience drawing thin with each time one of her family members opened their mouth, "So stop being so selfish."

"That's a good reason I guess." Zoey all but whispered and Cadence rolled her eyes.

"Why are you _so _willing to be a martyr?" Max questioned. Addison opened her mouth to replied but was cut off.

"Alright, let's get going. Defeating evil requires split-second timing and flawless teamwork. I can't tell you what you'll be doing but I can tell you what you won't. You won't be winging it. You won't be hoping for the best. The will to win is the will to prepare to win. Do you understand me?" the woman continued to pace as the young people nodded.

"Uh huh." Maya couldn't help herself as the woman turned to glare.

"I'm sorry I didn't quite get that last platitude." Brooke quipped as she tried to hide the smirk playing on her lips.

The woman eyed her, "You think you're so tough don't you? Well let me tell you something. You're only as good as your next vanquish. Our primary goal is-"

"To win!" Quinn volunteered.

"No."

"No." Quinn echoed as she deflated slightly and the others, even Addison, had to stifle their laughter.

"To learn to control your powers so you are ready for the final battle."

"Cryptic much?" Maya drawled.

The woman walked to her and sized her up, "Look. You are my great niece and I love you dearly but so help me God Maya if you do not listen to me."

Prue walked into the room and shut the door behind her as she let out a breath, wiping her hands on her tight black pants.

"That was a little harsh." Phoebe commented with a raised eyebrow as her eldest sister slumped into the chair beside them.

"Very Natalie-esque." Piper added.

"You can't baby them." Prue commented even though she was feeling emotionally drained.

Paige stood with her arms crossed over her chest, "Do you think they're ready?"

Prue pushed herself so she was sitting up straight. "We've got a lot of work to do."

"Move! Move! Move!" a woman with raven hair and light blue eyes yelled as she clapped her hands at them.

Bryn looked up from where she was doubled over, elbows on her knees in an attempt to catch her breath, "I just need a minute Aunt Prue."

"You don't have a minute." Prue replied as she moved to the side.

Bryns eyes widened at the sight on an oncoming energy ball as she dove out of the way just in the knick of time as the energy ball exploded onto the terrain behind her.

"What the hell!" Bryn glowered at the older woman who, although was technically her grandmothers older sister, appeared to be in her early thirties.

"This is war Bryn." Prue told her firmly as she strode forward, the heels of her knee length leather boots clipping against the rocky round. When she reached Bryn she roughly hauled her to her feet.

Bryn tried to yank her arm away but Prue kept a firm hold, "I don't want to do this anymore."

"You don't have a choice." Prue replied as she shoved her roughly back into the fray before exiting the room.

Prue joined Cole and Bianca who were standing behind a glass window as they looked out onto the terrain.

The arena was a desert setting with rocks, cliffs, and high winds.

No one even flinched when a fireball exploded onto the spelled flexi-glass.

"Pathetic." Bianca mumbled.

"They're getting better." Cole replied arms crossed over his chest.

"Not fast enough." Prue breathed as one hand pressed again the glass to watch the spectacle in front of her.

Lunging forward, a wisp of his fingers having conjured a dagger in his right hand, the hilt of the blade clenched tight between his palm, knuckle white as he brought himself forward.

Jayda ducked, eyes wide as she narrowly avoided the attack from a large brute demon.

Jackson threw out his hand sending a low powered telekinetic blast at the demon who had attacked his sister, but the attack barely staggered the demon.

Fire sprayed from Maya's hands rapidly and a loud shriek signaled that she had hit one of her relatives as Cadence dropped to the ground in pain.

Demons began to surround her. Cadence flicked her hands like she had been taught but they only barely slowed down, "Oh God. Oh God. Oh God."

A fireball hit her in the chest and she disappeared.

"Caddie!" Zoey screamed as she attempted to run towards the place her sister had been moments before but Max caught her by the wrist, as he pulled her behind him a spay a fire falling from his finger tips destroying the demon that was about to attack his cousin. "_Caddie_!" Zoey let out another piercing cry.

"Would you look at that." Cole commented.

"Not bad." Bianca replied.

Prue nodded, as she watched Jayda be incinerated. "I'll go." She told the other two who nodded.

Jayda was screaming when she came to in the dark desolate room. She continued to scream until she realized that she no longer felt the burning sensation that had encompassed her entire being only moments before.

She groped at herself as though in attempt to make sure she was in fact, still in one piece.

"This is fucked."

Jayda found the voice.

Cadence looked as though she had been crying her eyes were rimmed red and she was shaking ever so slightly.

Jayda opened her mouth the reply when the door of the room swung open.

"So" Prue said, "Do you know where you went wrong?"

"I don't have any powers." Cadence scoffed, "How do you expect me to defend myself?"

"You have powers you just aren't willing to accept them so you're rendering yourself defenseless." Prue told her matter of factly.

"This should be interesting." Cole indicated at the current predicament.

"Hm." Bianca responded.

"This is the first time they've come together as a group." Cole continued, "Every other time they've been isolated either on their own or pairs."

"I don't need a history lesson Cole." Bianca barked, "I've been here. I just don't have high hopes."

"They'll come around."

"Will they?"

"Give them time it's only been a few weeks."

"We don't have time." Bianca spun on him, "Every week more and more demons are coming above ground. The Resistance members are dropping like flies and-" bile rose in her throat, "And I don't think they can do this. Prophesized or not, I don't –" her eyes filled with tears because she was directly disagreeing with Chris.

His words echoed in her mind.

"_They are our only hope." _


End file.
